Freezing Stock?

[Sgt. Pepper]

Its freshwater prawn harvesting season here in Kentucky. Although they are kinda expensive, they are great. After separating the heads from the tail meat, I made a big pot of rich shrimp stock. I plan on freezing it for future use. All the recipes Ive ever read say freeze for up to 3 months. What happens after 3 months? Is it no good any longer? Does it take on a freezer burn taste? If I freeze it then vac-pac it in the Foodsaver, will it stay longer in the freezer? Any comments would be appreciated.

[sucrechef]

I'm not sure what exactly will happen after 3 months, but if you wrap very well (vac packing qualifies) you should be able to get more time. I've always believed that the time estimates are seriously underestimated to ensure that you use it in a timely fashion.
One more tip...I used to make chicken stock from pousin (6wk old chicken) bones and freeze it for use later. To minimize the freezer space needed, you may want to cook the stock down almost to demi-glace stage and reconstitute with water later...no sense in freezing more water than necessary. You can also freeze it in ice cube trays and then transfer to the vacuum pack -- then you only thaw what you need rather than thawing and refreezing large quantities over and over.

[MarkV]

Even frozen food can eventually succumb to bacterial invasion, only slower.

[Chowderhead]

I thought Prawns were a variety of shrimp, none of which came in a fresh water version of any size to my knowledge. You have them in KY big enough to eat?

[Sgt. Pepper]

As a supplement to tobacco farming, which is quickly on the way out, the state is trying to get the KY farmers interested in alternative crops. So, a few of the farmers with ponds are growing and harvesting prawns or fresh water shrimp. They are almost identical to saltwater shrimp in size and flavor. Also Tilapia are a fantastic fish that are raised locally in freshwater.

[Suzanne]

What a great reuse for the land!

Yes, the longer you store the stock in the freezer, the more susceptible it is to freezer burn. Your idea of using the FoodSaver will help some, but even then you'll need more wrapping if you want to keep it longer -- aluminum foil works well. Just remember to label it!

[mudbug]

Here's my suggestion.

Set some aside and don't make stock with them. Literally freeze them inside a container filled with water. When you're ready, thaw the water, take out the prawns and then make your stock.

We freeze fresh caught fish in blocks of water and thaw them when we want. It's the next best thing to fresh fish we can get.