Ikejimi and bleeding vs just chucking it in the icebox

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theodosius
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Re: Ikejimi and bleeding vs just chucking it in the icebox

Post by theodosius »

I often just cut across the heart or sometimes chuck them in the esky. Never noticed much difference
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Re: Ikejimi and bleeding vs just chucking it in the icebox

Post by stroma »

Not sure from a taste perspective, but I note that from a biochemistry point of view, the moment you put a knife into a fish you reduce the effective shelf life. This is because you allow the introduction of bacteria beyond the mucous membranes and is the reason that most commercially caught fish are not bled. To maximise shelf life, throw the fish into an ice slurry without bleeding. I suppose you could at least ikejimi the fish first to reduce cortisol levels ASAP.
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Re: Ikejimi and bleeding vs just chucking it in the icebox

Post by theodosius »

Good point about the food safety
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Re: Ikejimi and bleeding vs just chucking it in the icebox

Post by Matt Flynn »

Interesting re the knife and bacteria. However, as you aren't sticking the fillet, would the gut cavity bacteria just as quickly start moving into the muscle flesh as any from a knife wound? If you are bleeding the fish I would have thought that would stop bacterial travel via the blood. Just some thoughts, it is an interesting topic.

Given the stink that comes out of gut cavities of some fish, there is a fair bacterial load in there.

I guess it depends on species too, perhaps more reason to bleed/ikejimi dark fleshed trevally, tuna etc.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikejime
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Re: Ikejimi and bleeding vs just chucking it in the icebox

Post by stroma »

Not sure on the specifics regarding gut bacteria but I know from my previous life in aquaculture that we could achieve a shelf life of over 21 days (surprisingly even up to 28 days at a push!) as long as our product (2-3kg barra) were thrown directly alive into an ice slurry to drag the core temp down to below 4 degrees ASAP and provided the cold-chain was maintained for the entire storage period. In contrast, if we gilled and gutted the fish, the shelf life would be closer to 14 days and never exceed 21 days.
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Re: Ikejimi and bleeding vs just chucking it in the icebox

Post by nomad »

stroma wrote: Thu Jan 27, 2022 2:44 pm Not sure on the specifics regarding gut bacteria but I know from my previous life in aquaculture that we could achieve a shelf life of over 21 days (surprisingly even up to 28 days at a push!) as long as our product (2-3kg barra) were thrown directly alive into an ice slurry to drag the core temp down to below 4 degrees ASAP and provided the cold-chain was maintained for the entire storage period. In contrast, if we gilled and gutted the fish, the shelf life would be closer to 14 days and never exceed 21 days.
i was going to say the same thing. I remember the barra farm at adelaide r telling me the same thing ages ago.
i still brain spike and bleed though because im not processing tonnes of fish
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Re: Ikejimi and bleeding vs just chucking it in the icebox

Post by NinjaFish »

A good pair of scissors, open one of the gills, cut the second and third rakers then in the ice.
Works well and they bleed out properly. Don’t try it with Mackies though.
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Re: Ikejimi and bleeding vs just chucking it in the icebox

Post by Matt Flynn »

Don’t try it with Mackies though.
Bleeds the fisho :D
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Re: Ikejimi and bleeding vs just chucking it in the icebox

Post by theodosius »

That's cool to know about the barra slurry

Definitely bleed mackies and tuna
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Re: Ikejimi and bleeding vs just chucking it in the icebox

Post by Matt Flynn »

Not sure on the specifics regarding gut bacteria but I know from my previous life in aquaculture that we could achieve a shelf life of over 21 days (surprisingly even up to 28 days at a push!) as long as our product (2-3kg barra) were thrown directly alive into an ice slurry to drag the core temp down to below 4 degrees ASAP and provided the cold-chain was maintained for the entire storage period. In contrast, if we gilled and gutted the fish, the shelf life would be closer to 14 days and never exceed 21 days.
This is interesting, given the prevailing belief is probably that gutting makes them last longer.

Perhaps bleed and gut is best when you are eating it fairly soon, and especially with bl..dy fish like tuna. trevally.
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Re: Ikejimi and bleeding vs just chucking it in the icebox

Post by mako »

Bleed and fillet, fillets cool faster than whole fish in the esky.
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Re: Ikejimi and bleeding vs just chucking it in the icebox

Post by Matt Flynn »

Yep, and it's good to come home without the guts etc, happier wife :D
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