To defrost fish, do not soak it in water. There is another way to defrost it in a few minutes.

Instead of soaking in water, you can defrost fish quickly while still retaining its freshness and nutritional value by using some ingredients available in the kitchen.

Time constraints make housewives often store a lot of food in the freezer for later use. When defrosting food, especially fish, the most worrying problem is the long waiting time and the reduced freshness.

Tips to defrost fish quickly, remove fishy smell and keep nutrients

To shorten the time to defrost fish, many people often choose to soak it in water. According to experts, this method will cause the fish to lose a significant amount of nutrients and sweetness. Instead of soaking in water, you can apply the quick defrosting tips below to both save time and ensure the flavor of the dish. 

Step 1: Rinse fish quickly under cold water

Place the fish under the tap and turn on the water, quickly draining it for 10 seconds. The hard layer of ice surrounding the fish will quickly melt under the effect of water. At this point, the fish's body is still hard but the tail and fins are soft and completely separated from the ice.

Step 2: Prepare the vinegar and salt mixture

Take a small bowl, pour in about 20ml of white vinegar and 10g of salt, then add 150ml of warm water. The water temperature should be about 35 degrees Celsius, not too hot or too cold. Stir well with a spoon. 

Step 3: Spread the mixture on the fish

Place the fish on a large plate, spoon the mixture over the fish, making sure no part is left out, and let it sit for about 3 minutes. The fish will soften slowly, but the middle part will still be a bit hard; continue to spread the mixture over the belly to soften the inside.

Salt speeds up the process of dissolving ice, while white vinegar has the effect of deodorizing and softening. When you combine vinegar with salt, you will shorten the defrosting time of fish, it only takes about 5 minutes for the fish to soften. This method not only helps the fish to defrost quickly but also removes the fishy smell, making it very convenient for the next processing.

Notes when defrosting fish

To have fresh fish after defrosting, you need to note the following principles:

- Do not use hot water when washing fish: To defrost fish quickly, many people choose to wash fish with hot water. The fish will be cooked on the outside but the inside will still be hard due to being frozen, affecting the cooking process.

- Do not process fish before freezing: To keep fish fresh, when buying fish at the market, we should keep the intestines intact, do not cut open the belly or gills, just wash the outside of the fish and put it in the freezer. This will help the fish retain its original flavor and not deteriorate during storage.

- Wash the fish after defrosting : After completing the defrosting step, you need to wash the fish and remove the intestines, gills, and fins. This is an area that contains a lot of bacteria and can cause poisoning if not processed carefully.