Can You Freeze Tuna Steaks – How To Freeze Tuna Steaks

Although I’m definitely not the person that routinely gets up bright and early on a Saturday morning to head to the local farmer’s market, I am the person that wishes I did.  I happen to live in a city with a beautiful farmer’s market sourced with an endless supply of yummy eats from the vast array of local farms.

So, recently motivated by some friends that are the get up early type, I headed out with my reusable shopping bags to gather up some goodies.  First stop upon entering the market was the local fishmonger’s stand.  There in the middle of the display was the most amazing tuna loin.  Anyone that knows me at all will say I’m a ridiculously huge tuna fan so that tuna loin immediately conjured up images of a lightly seared tuna steak of perfection with a drizzle of homemade wasabi sauce.  And yes you guessed it, I ordered up two healthy steak portions and my husband and I dined like kings that evening.

However, the whole process got me thinking.  Suppose I stumble across a tuna steak of that magnitude in the future without the ability to cook it up immediately.

Can You Freeze Tuna Steak?

Of course, tuna steak can be purchased in the grocery store already frozen or with signage that it has been previously frozen, so it stood to reason that freezing the tuna steak was a viable option.  But would it be so easy to do at home and still achieve the results I required?  I have a way to successfully buy that gorgeous, straight out of the ocean tuna steak and still enjoy its goodness at a later time that works with my schedule.

How To Freeze Tuna Steak

I had read at some point that shrimp should be soaked in brine before cooking to help maintain its juiciness.  Turns out other fish including tuna steaks work the same way.  So, the first step is to make a quick brine solution.

Brine Solution Recipe:

The brine solution is made of ¼ cup pickling salt dissolved in 1 quart of water.

If you don’t have pickling salt available kosher salt will work, but increase your overall salt quantity by 50%.

Regular table salt has additives that work great to prevent clumping but unfortunately those additives will affect the color and texture of the fish.

• Once the brine is prepared, soak the tuna steaks for one minute.
• Remove the steaks and wrap them in plastic wrap.
• At this point you can slide the tuna steaks into a freezer safe zipper bag.
• Remove all the air.  I achieve this by placing a straw in the bag right at the edge and sucking out all the air before I quickly finish zipping it closed.
• Place the bagged steaks into the freezer.  They will be safe stored for 3 months.

How To Thaw Tuna Steaks

Thawing the steaks should be a slow, in the refrigerator process.  Never try to defrost in the microwave – it just doesn’t end well.  Be sure to select the most fresh tuna and get it in the freezer as soon as possible to preserve every bit of straight out of the ocean deliciousness.

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