Mushy blue cod

Page  12>
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote WellyFisher Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Mushy blue cod
    Posted: 18 Dec 2017 at 6:36am
WellyFisher View Drop Down
Bronze
Bronze


Joined: 15 Jul 2016
Status: Offline
Points: 5
Hi everyone,

The last couple of times I have been out I have come home with a great feed of blue code. However, when I have cooked it up the fillets have been quite mushy (feel mushy to fillet too). Does anyone know what might be causing this?

I have wondered if it is how I am storing the fish. I iki spike them and through them straight into the chilly bin. In the bin I have salt ice from the servo mixed with some sea water to make a slurry. Does too much sea water make them mushy? The fish almost felt a little frozen coming out if it. Could that do it?

Thanks for any help in advance!


Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote MB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Dec 2017 at 8:14am
MB View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 08 Jan 2016
Location: Northland
Status: Offline
Points: 5534
I was going to say, had they not been on ice/slurry long enough LOL

I see this with snapper sometimes if I catch a fish just before heading home.
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Tagit Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Dec 2017 at 9:06am
Tagit View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 21 Aug 2003
Location: Westhaven, Auck
Status: Offline
Points: 15052
Some people like to leave fish in the slurry or in the fridge over night before filleting as they firm up a little.You could try that.

Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote cirrus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Dec 2017 at 9:48am
cirrus View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium


Joined: 07 May 2011
Status: Offline
Points: 9760
Would be very unlikely that putting cod into ice brine would make them mushy. That is how fish should be stored. 
Maybe other factors at play.
Are they slabby fish,not fully recovered after spawn in spring. Or is the water warmer than usual. Once found snapper caught in tepid water over mud banks had a strange texture. Or possibly what the cod have been feeding on could give the flesh a mushy texture.
And blue cod itself is a very delicate soft fish .
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote Steps Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Dec 2017 at 12:06pm
Steps View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium


Joined: 14 Oct 2013
Location: Franklin
Status: Offline
Points: 12849
We no longer use ice or slurry..
We gut then bin...
throw any other meat into a slurry of any kind and goes .. strange..
 Comms use ice.. not slurry....
Fish bars shops use ice, not slurry...

We now use frozen ice pack block.. several sizes...
 large stay at the bottom, smaller get put into gut cavity, and they get lifted up through the pile of fish, so not just the fish in the bottom (slurry ) get cooled off.
In saying that , the last fish in the bin, is generally dropped in and left ...
 still not fully chilled as its the 1st on the fillet board and definitely softer than those below... If happens to be a cod or similar species, yes could be described as  "mushy"  espec when compared to the fish below chilled right off.

 Also gutting out makes big difference to the flesh
 Maybe because chills faster, or nothing to contaminate the flesh, or leak into slurry , contaminating that, or maybe because the filleting boards are clean from start to finish.
 Or a combination of some or all of the above.

 We started off some yrs back with ice, and ice slurry, not gutting , moved to frozen lager salt ice blocks, then containers... then gutting,  now the ice packs
 Noting all the way the  +ve change in the fish taste, textures etc
 And dont need to buy ice, or ever forget to...

Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote OuttaHere Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Dec 2017 at 12:48pm
OuttaHere View Drop Down
Platinum
Platinum


Joined: 05 Oct 2015
Location: NZ
Status: Offline
Points: 2707
I got a decent cod yesterday and it was kinda mushy as well. I'm putting it down to warmer waters, plus maybe some time-of-year thing like post spawning or whatever.
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Snappa Geoff Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Dec 2017 at 12:48pm
Snappa Geoff View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 23 Jul 2012
Location: mokau
Status: Offline
Points: 6424
Originally posted by Steps Steps wrote:

We no longer use ice or slurry..
We gut then bin...
throw any other meat into a slurry of any kind and goes .. strange..
 Comms use ice.. not slurry....
Fish bars shops use ice, not slurry...

We now use frozen ice pack block.. several sizes...
 large stay at the bottom, smaller get put into gut cavity, and they get lifted up through the pile of fish, so not just the fish in the bottom (slurry ) get cooled off.
In saying that , the last fish in the bin, is generally dropped in and left ...
 still not fully chilled as its the 1st on the fillet board and definitely softer than those below... If happens to be a cod or similar species, yes could be described as  "mushy"  espec when compared to the fish below chilled right off.

 Also gutting out makes big difference to the flesh
 Maybe because chills faster, or nothing to contaminate the flesh, or leak into slurry , contaminating that, or maybe because the filleting boards are clean from start to finish.
 Or a combination of some or all of the above.

 We started off some yrs back with ice, and ice slurry, not gutting , moved to frozen lager salt ice blocks, then containers... then gutting,  now the ice packs
 Noting all the way the  +ve change in the fish taste, textures etc
 And dont need to buy ice, or ever forget to...

Some good advice there Steps. Been freezing sea water in containers for years, never bought ice. Big fish on top will squash the smaller snaps or cod size fish if you leave them in the bottom of bin, which deteriorates the fillets quicker. Don't like leaving the filleting past six hours once home as have found the mush effect starts. Going to try your theory of gutting before binning Steps, good idea! 
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Steps Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Dec 2017 at 4:27pm
Steps View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium


Joined: 14 Oct 2013
Location: Franklin
Status: Offline
Points: 12849
Some good advice there Steps.
Made this mistake.. was gutted (pun inteneded)
 make sure that you have a good set electonic scales on the boat (about $40/50) in a ziplock.. and know the weight of the net.
 You get in the habit of gutting out fish.. including the PB that may get binned... and once gutted back at home, you cant get the real weight..

 Ok further to the above..  just been chatting( about this thread).. to my fish handling expert son.. snr manager of a larger supermarket fish dept.. where handling, use by dates, storage age temps are kept to well within the required limits and continua monitoring and audits of that monitoring takes place.. strictly.

 In their fish bins.. huge bins, there is slurry in the bottom , well below the fish...
Slurry makes the eyes go cloudy very quick.. bad look on the shelf...checking eyes is not reliable in the modern supermarkets... check the gills colour.. should be a good red, not darkish or brownish.
 Never put fillets or any fish meat in a slurry or fish that may have damage to the skin to allow the slurry to reach the meat. it kills the meat very quick.. ice is ok, but when removed , the meat has to be dried off straight away.
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote pjc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Dec 2017 at 4:41pm
pjc View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 04 Apr 2010
Location: papakura
Status: Offline
Points: 12468
Have tried leaving sea ice in bag and placing fish around,tried open bag and tipping ice over fish and also slurry.
The problem mainly occurs during warmer water temps seem to get soft fillet but not in winter,so does water temp effect the fish?
2 on Saturday were firm to handle but the gurnard was softis it water temp or what they have been feeding on as one snapper the usually pink and the orther was bright red but in the gut was a smelly green mush
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote letsgetem Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Dec 2017 at 7:19pm
letsgetem View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 09 Oct 2008
Location: Whangaparaoa
Status: Offline
Points: 3171
Wasn't red cod was it?
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote Tonto2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Dec 2017 at 11:37pm
Tonto2 View Drop Down
Platinum
Platinum
Avatar

Joined: 25 Jun 2006
Status: Offline
Points: 2294
Originally posted by Steps Steps wrote:

We no longer use ice or slurry..
We gut then bin...
throw any other meat into a slurry of any kind and goes .. strange..
 Comms use ice.. not slurry....
Fish bars shops use ice, not slurry...

We now use frozen ice pack block.. several sizes...
 large stay at the bottom, smaller get put into gut cavity, and they get lifted up through the pile of fish, so not just the fish in the bottom (slurry ) get cooled off.
In saying that , the last fish in the bin, is generally dropped in and left ...
 still not fully chilled as its the 1st on the fillet board and definitely softer than those below... If happens to be a cod or similar species, yes could be described as  "mushy"  espec when compared to the fish below chilled right off.

 Also gutting out makes big difference to the flesh
 Maybe because chills faster, or nothing to contaminate the flesh, or leak into slurry , contaminating that, or maybe because the filleting boards are clean from start to finish.
 Or a combination of some or all of the above.

 We started off some yrs back with ice, and ice slurry, not gutting , moved to frozen lager salt ice blocks, then containers... then gutting,  now the ice packs
 Noting all the way the  +ve change in the fish taste, textures etc
 And dont need to buy ice, or ever forget to...

Holy crap things must have changed dramatically then, as the first thing we did on the trawler was to put the fish in a slurry, guess the skipper with 30 years experience was a dumbarse
slowly going where everyone else has already been
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Marligator Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Dec 2017 at 12:08am
Marligator View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium


Joined: 07 Sep 2004
Location: Papamoa
Status: Offline
Points: 6162
I am sure Rozboon is onto it, in the Tauranga area we occasionally get decent sized blue cod of up around a kg but the flesh is always mushy compared to the nice firm fleshed fish we get on our Fiordland trips and I am sure it is because we have much warmer water than further south. Now my understanding is that the water down Wellington way is much warmer than normal, especially on the west coast.
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote Steps Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Dec 2017 at 8:00am
Steps View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium


Joined: 14 Oct 2013
Location: Franklin
Status: Offline
Points: 12849
Holy crap things must have changed dramatically then, as the first thing we did on the trawler was to put the fish in a slurry, guess the skipper with 30 years experience was a dumbarse

 Farming be it fishing cows , crops what ever, 30 yrs ago was very different to 60yrs ago, and today different to 30yrs ago.
 Rec fishing pre chilly bin and ice is very different to what we have and do today..
 Then throw in how the top end 'craft meat' catches and processes to the std bulk methods

 Doesnt make him a dumbass at at all.
 
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote Tonto2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Dec 2017 at 9:36am
Tonto2 View Drop Down
Platinum
Platinum
Avatar

Joined: 25 Jun 2006
Status: Offline
Points: 2294
Originally posted by Steps Steps wrote:

Holy crap things must have changed dramatically then, as the first thing we did on the trawler was to put the fish in a slurry, guess the skipper with 30 years experience was a dumbarse

 Farming be it fishing cows , crops what ever, 30 yrs ago was very different to 60yrs ago, and today different to 30yrs ago.
 Rec fishing pre chilly bin and ice is very different to what we have and do today..
 Then throw in how the top end 'craft meat' catches and processes to the std bulk methods

 Doesnt make him a dumbass at at all.
 
I didn't say it was 30 years ago, I said he had 30 years experience
slowly going where everyone else has already been
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Steps Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Dec 2017 at 9:57am
Steps View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium


Joined: 14 Oct 2013
Location: Franklin
Status: Offline
Points: 12849
 Then throw in how the top end 'craft meat' catches and processes to the std bulk methods

I think you will find, going from the retail end, ice is shoveled into the bins, then fish , with more ice packed around each layer.
 Reason is slurry kills the eyes, dull eyes doesnt sell at the counter or on the export market.
 When the bins hit the retailer, 12 to 24 hrs later, there is a little slurry on the bottom with the bottom fish still clear of it.
Temps and condition is monitored/logged at each step from catch, packing, shipping , receipt at the retailer, at the chiller , and also bench to the wet bin or fillet display..
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote pjc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Dec 2017 at 3:40pm
pjc View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 04 Apr 2010
Location: papakura
Status: Offline
Points: 12468
"Temps and condition is monitored/logged at each step from catch, packing, shipping , receipt at the retailer, at the chiller , and also bench to the wet bin or fillet display.."
Dont kid yourself "Steps" it doesnt happen the way it should .

This does not happen at all,been in the chilled/frozen transport industry for the last 25 yrs
The only time a retailer checks temps is when having an audit or received dud product,most refrigerated vehicles have a calibration certificate issued annually for the fridge plant.

A few years ago,12?,had to pick up an urgent pallet of ice cream and to take it to major retailer in Manukau,storeman probed it -18 which is correct for ice cream,went past 20 minutes later still sitting in loading dock. Wonder why your milk taste off??storeman unloads it,leaves it to one side wanting for the merchandiser to turn up could be out of chiller 1hr or more hence why we buy our milk from the gas station/dairy.
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Steps Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Dec 2017 at 3:59pm
Steps View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium


Joined: 14 Oct 2013
Location: Franklin
Status: Offline
Points: 12849
Change your super market then...
Some supermarket chains work under both local body and MAF ...and you may well find those ppl who dont follow correct procedures/ documentation, its in their contract as dismissal..
 So if someone is fudging, they are doing so simply because they know they can get way with it...
Till someone who actually gives a damn reports it..
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote pjc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Dec 2017 at 4:36pm
pjc View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 04 Apr 2010
Location: papakura
Status: Offline
Points: 12468
Originally posted by Steps Steps wrote:

Change your super market then...
Some supermarket chains work under both local body and MAF ...and you may well find those ppl who dont follow correct procedures/ documentation, its in their contract as dismissal..
 So if someone is fudging, they are doing so simply because they know they can get way with it...
Till someone who actually gives a damn reports it..
you have no idea what takes place out the back,I work in MPI/MAF approved facility and short cuts are taken and procedures only followed when mpi/maf do a audit,and yes they must give notice before they turn up ,they cannot do snap inspections without a good reason.

As per your previous post about temperatures taken from when fish caught to landing in shop you have absolutely no idea.the only record keeping is the amount of stock,date caught ,buyer etc temperature records may or maybe not kept just monitored as far as chiller temperatures go,they basically look at the setting and watch for a few seconds to see that it is operating within set range.
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote smudge Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Dec 2017 at 5:11pm
smudge View Drop Down
Moderator - Ninja
Moderator - Ninja
Avatar

Joined: 17 Jul 2002
Location: Te Toro
Status: Offline
Points: 32159
This isn't a PJC vs Steps debate and has nothing to do with supermarkets!

IMO the mushy blue cod is most likely post spawn as Cirrus suggested. Fish in poor condition have soft mushy flesh. I've seen it a lot with skinny kahawai, snapper and gurnard.
Best gurnard fisherman in my street
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote ffocus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Dec 2017 at 6:23pm
ffocus View Drop Down
Silver
Silver


Joined: 04 Jan 2016
Status: Offline
Points: 157
Catch plenty of blue cod down here and have not had any mushy fillets. Just catch , kill, into bin without ice. But the fish are from 14 degree water (now that its warmed up) and are home and filleted pretty quick.
Back to Top
Page  12>
Forum Jump
Forum Permissions View Drop Down


This page was generated in 0.391 seconds.

Fishing Reports Visit Reports

Saltwater Fishing Reports
Top of the South Fishing Report - 22/03/24

Tasman and Golden Bay snapper still running hot We are not far away from daylight... Read More >

22 Mar 2024
Saltwater Fishing Reports
Bay of Islands Fishing Report - 22/03/24

Variety is the spice of life On one recent trip, the plan was to spend a... Read More >

22 Mar 2024
Saltwater Fishing Reports
Hauraki Gulf Fishing Report - 22/03/24

Fish where the fish are! Catching fish or just going fishing? I tackle this issue... Read More >

22 Mar 2024
Saltwater Fishing Reports
Inner Hauraki Gulf Fishing Report - 22/03/24

Thoughtful tactics required for better fish Over the course of each year the fishing varies,... Read More >

22 Mar 2024
Fishing bite times Fishing bite times

Major Bites

Minor Bites

Major Bites

Minor Bites