Re using bait

[fishingtom]

I'm not saying that if I had a restaurant I would serve frozen beef; however I know that the best way to age beef is to keep it at a temperature just above freezing for about 11 days. If I ordered steak in a restaurant, I would expect it to not have been frozen, but if it was a nice restaurant, it would have been almost two weeks since that cow was slaughtered - not exactly fresh.
The average consumer can't buy aged beef and can't age it themselves, so the beef they cook is relatively fresh - not comparable to what you would get at a top steakhouse. I would prefer to cook fresh rather than frozen - but if I pack it correctly before I freeze it, don't leave it in the freezer too long, and defrost it properly, I don't notice any difference in the quality, texture or flavor of the meat. If you don't pack the meat properly and air is allowed to reach the meat, then the quality will drop. However, if I have a choice between letting that meat sit in the refrigerator for another day growing bacteria or freezing it, I will always choose the safer option - freezing.

I am a chef, 26years now.  From the minute you put meat in the freezer Sublimation begins to take place.  sublimation- Water evaporates at all temperatures, even from what appears to be solid ice. When the constantly vibrating water molecules in the meats and vegetables stored in the freezer migrate to the surface, crystals of ice outside of the solid food are formed.  Cell walls break down, release moisture and become tougher.   Have you ever noticed that no matter how well you wrap a piece of meat ice crystals form on the surface?  You present a chef with steak that has been frozen and he(she) will KNOW and so will his customers! 

[fishingtom]

And the average person can dry age beef in their home!  Plenty of info online on how to do it safely.

[shadow-13x]

I like cake.

[fishingtom]

No cake for you!

[green]

Very few restaurants receive meat fresh. Nearly all receive it boxed and frozen. A friend that was a butcher at a big box store said he never ate meat from there. He would go to a local grocery chain as their meat was most likely only frozen once unlike where he worked. He also asked where is came from as he would not eat imported meat. He would buy that reduced if planning to cook it within 24 hours too. According to him, unless a local butcher cuts what was bought locally it has been frozen at least once before it is available to consumers.

Thank you. I live in an area where one of the main industries is slaughtering cattle. You would think that if any place would sell fresh meat, it would be around here, but the only local butcher went out of business, and the quality of the meat he sold was terrible. We have a Winco, which is a big chain, and I am sure they don't use local meat and it is also very bad quality. There is also a large Mexican store which has terrible meat too, so I wonder where they get it. The meat at the local chains is the best. I know that the chicken in all the stores is bought frozen, because it is often partially frozen when they put it out.
I just read that you should not try to dry age beef at home because there is no way you would have the space or the ability to control the temperature that is needed to dry age it safely.
http://bbq.about.com/cs/beef/a/aa030301a_2.htm
About the original question: there is no way I would let anyone put used bait in my refrigerator. I don't want it anywhere near the food I eat.

[fishingtom]

Up to 95 % of beef is sent out in cryovac packaging fresh not frozen.  Refrigerated it has a much longer shelf life unless the vacuum seal is broken.  That is quality beef not trim or ground.

[fishingtom]

Procedure on how to dry age beef Alton Brown style
Controlling the climate
You can simply age your smaller pieces of beef in the refrigerator. The humidity and temperature in the refrigerator should be maintained well. Ideally, a temperature within 34 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit should work perfectly fine. Make sure you maintain the humidity within 50 to 60 percent.
Draining and ventilating
To dry age small cuts of beef, you need not have to hang them, like it’s done commercially. For home dry aging, you can place the smaller chunks of beef on a racked sheet pan. However, you need to make sure that the rack is fitting neatly in the sheet pan and is sturdy enough to allow good drainage and ventilation all around the beef. To help soak away the moisture from the meat chunks, you can place paper towels over the top of the beef. You have to replace the towels and drain the pan on a regular basis.
Proper timing
According to Alton Brown, you should not be dry aging beef for more than 3 days when you are doing it at home. Otherwise, there are strong chances of the meat getting spoiled. Many a times, it has been observed, that an overnight’s dry aging also enriches the flavor and texture of the beef. SO THERE   

[Crab Shack]

Where is that bum anyway... Always got something to say until we need him... 

Hope nothing bad happened to him,  hope he didn't fall into a vat of cheesecake or something.   

[green]

Procedure on how to dry age beef Alton Brown style

Proper timing
According to Alton Brown, you should not be dry aging beef for more than 3 days when you are doing it at home. Otherwise, there are strong chances of the meat getting spoiled. Many a times, it has been observed, that an overnight’s dry aging also enriches the flavor and texture of the beef. SO THERE   

Real dry aging takes 11 days - 3 days is probably safe. However, it is still growing bacteria all that time.
Most meat packers use carbon monoxide to provide the red color so the meat looks fresh.
You have no idea of how fresh the meat you buy at the store is. So you don't know how long it sat before you bought it.

[double E]

Double E, I'm well aware how long it takes to thaw a line thats been frozen for more than a full day. but from my experience my lines take up to 8-12 hrs to freeze solid. now this may be because I'm puttin in 2 lines 1200 ft each but i doubt that 3 -5 hrs would freeze even 1 1200 ft line solid. put that same line in a refridg. and the middle won't even get cold overnight. just trying to help please don't act like I'm stupid, been doin it for awhile.

rdbeard sorry if it seemed like a direct dig at you, I did not mean for it to, sometimes typed words don't come out the way they were intended. You are absolutely right if the line is in the freezer for only 3-5 hours it will not freeze solid. I guess this hole coversation depends greatly on how long he plans on freezing it and how long between the time is when returning home and heading back out. 

[TAXI CRAB]

I pull my line out of the freezer around 8-9 pm and fill it with the hose, put the lid on and sit the bucket next  boat. Last step is very important ,I have on one occasion woken up late and rushed out the door and never grabbed the line and was stuck with only 15 traps  

[Chef Lar]

I'm not saying that if I had a restaurant I would serve frozen beef; however I know that the best way to age beef is to keep it at a temperature just above freezing for about 11 days. If I ordered steak in a restaurant, I would expect it to not have been frozen, but if it was a nice restaurant, it would have been almost two weeks since that cow was slaughtered - not exactly fresh.
The average consumer can't buy aged beef and can't age it themselves, so the beef they cook is relatively fresh - not comparable to what you would get at a top steakhouse. I would prefer to cook fresh rather than frozen - but if I pack it correctly before I freeze it, don't leave it in the freezer too long, and defrost it properly, I don't notice any difference in the quality, texture or flavor of the meat. If you don't pack the meat properly and air is allowed to reach the meat, then the quality will drop. However, if I have a choice between letting that meat sit in the refrigerator for another day growing bacteria or freezing it, I will always choose the safer option - freezing.

Thank you. I live in an area where one of the main industries is slaughtering cattle. You would think that if any place would sell fresh meat, it would be around here, but the only local butcher went out of business, and the quality of the meat he sold was terrible. We have a Winco, which is a big chain, and I am sure they don't use local meat and it is also very bad quality. There is also a large Mexican store which has terrible meat too, so I wonder where they get it. The meat at the local chains is the best. I know that the chicken in all the stores is bought frozen, because it is often partially frozen when they put it out.
I just read that you should not try to dry age beef at home because there is no way you would have the space or the ability to control the temperature that is needed to dry age it safely.
http://bbq.about.com/cs/beef/a/aa030301a_2.htm
About the original question: there is no way I would let anyone put used bait in my refrigerator. I don't want it anywhere near the food I eat.

OK Ok here I am. Never new Bahston was cattle country. And if you're eatin cows, that's why your steak is tough. Put the line back in the refrigerator.

[green]

OK Ok here I am. Never new Bahston was cattle country. And if you're eatin cows, that's why your steak is tough. Put the line back in the refrigerator.

Sorry, I was referring to my parents home in the country, where the main industry is cattle. I still consider it my home. Obviously, not near Boston. My steak isn't tough and it does come from cows. Where does your steak come from - horses?

[fishingtom]

Cows are slaughtered much older.  If you are eating cows then you are shopping at a very very low end store.  The fat is yellow and very full of Grissel from being old on the hoof.  The rest of us eat steers, slaughtered before reaching adulthood usually a year or less.  This reminds me of Murrys Meats.  Any of you B-more folks remember them...NASTY NASTY...Everything they sold was milk cow after they stopped producing meat/

[Sternerthecrab]

This is why I stick to venison      Seriously, when butchering for yourself, you can control the quality. (or lack of... )

[green]

Cows are slaughtered much older.  If you are eating cows then you are shopping at a very very low end store.  The fat is yellow and very full of Grissel from being old on the hoof.  The rest of us eat steers, slaughtered before reaching adulthood usually a year or less.  This reminds me of Murrys Meats.  Any of you B-more folks remember them...NASTY NASTY...Everything they sold was milk cow after they stopped producing meat/

In common English, all cattle are referred to as cows, regardless of sex, whether they have been castrated, or their age.
"Grissel" is actually spelled "gristle."

[CaptCrabs1]

I would freeze it for a few hours, then put it in the fridge. Make sure it is thawed when you go, or it can be a pain in the butt putting the line out.

[jack1747]

In common English, all cattle are referred to as cows, regardless of sex, whether they have been castrated, or their age.
"Grissel" is actually spelled "gristle."

Not true.... Steers are young bulls that have been clipped. Heifers are Sallies.  Cows are Sooks.  Cattle are generally refered to as free range....... Guess you didn't spend much time growing up on a dairy farm.   

[JIMMYCRAB]

Where to begin??..... OK, Green.  Unless you are buying beef from the man who slaughters it right away , you are not getting "fresh meat". Beef NEEDS TO BE AGED!!  Aging improves the flavor and the texture.  There are two ways to age beef wet aging and dry aging. Wet aging is the most common  because it has a higher yield, and is done by the supplier before the product ever reaches the end user. Nobody  who makes a living selling beef is going to turn out a green product with less than 14 to 21 days on it. I personally prefer 30 days.  So the beef you're buying at the store or the restaurant is probably 3 weeks old.
   The quality of frozen meat depends on the packaging and the method. A commercial blast freezer freezes in seconds creating smaller ice crystals and does very little damage to the cell membrane. The home home freezer  takes hours and results in larger "ice needles" that pierce the cell walls and release moisture. As far as packaging, A vacuum packer will all but eliminate the sublimation process, AKA freezer burn , accelerated by frost free freezer.
      Back to the original question, I have to agree that fresh bait is always better. I do however understand the headache associated with baiting a 1200' line, so if  the bait looks untouched and you are determined to use it again, you would benefit from freezing it. it would release more scent into the water once its thawed. JMHO

[Chef Lar]

All I know is you milk a cow, four teets. Let me know when you try to milk a steer. Only one er, teet. 

[dfran]

Very few restaurants receive meat fresh. Nearly all receive it boxed and frozen. A friend that was a butcher at a big box store said he never ate meat from there. He would go to a local grocery chain as their meat was most likely only frozen once unlike where he worked. He also asked where is came from as he would not eat imported meat. He would buy that reduced if planning to cook it within 24 hours too. According to him, unless a local butcher cuts what was bought locally it has been frozen at least once before it is available to consumers.

Your friend is totally wrong, about resturants and stores.

[green]

   The quality of frozen meat depends on the packaging and the method. A commercial blast freezer freezes in seconds creating smaller ice crystals and does very little damage to the cell membrane. The home home freezer  takes hours and results in larger "ice needles" that pierce the cell walls and release moisture. As far as packaging, A vacuum packer will all but eliminate the sublimation process, AKA freezer burn , accelerated by frost free freezer.

I use vacuum packaging to package my meat that is to be frozen, so I don't have problems with freezer burn or excess water being released from my steaks when they are defrosted.
So if all meat that you buy at the grocery is already aged, then why are there people, including Alton Brown, advocating that you age it yourself?
When I said that in common English it is perfectly correct to call them cows, I was referring to all the people who didn't grow up on a dairy farm, a population that outnumbers you farmers.  If you see a member of the cattle family standing in the middle of the road, most people would say there is a cow in the road, unless they find it necessary to get out and examine the animal in order to choose the correct name.
You can't milk all cows - only those that have given birth and have been milked every day since that time. I don't consider it an insult that I didn't spend much time growing up on a dairy farm, but I have visited dairy farms - I can't believe you have any sense of smell left after smelling that horrible odor for an extended period of time.
We raised a small number pigs for awhile, but I never insulted people who didn't know the difference between a sow, gilt, shoat, boar, barrow - even the people in the industry just referred to them generally as pigs unless they were referring to an specific pig.
    

[Dreampixels]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUOykwS-TmY                     

[JIMMYCRAB]

All I know is you milk a cow, four teets. Let me know when you try to milk a steer. Only one er, teet.  

 But you milk a bull one time............ and you have a friend for life!!!

[JIMMYCRAB]

So if all meat that you buy at the grocery is already aged, then why are there people, including Alton Brown, advocating that you age it yourself?

    

 He's referring to the dry age process,which is more of a controlled decomposition, used to improve the flavor. Dry aging reduces the water content of the meat concentrating the beef flavor. It also gives time for the natural enzymes  to break down the connective tissue in the meat making it extremely tender. The problem with dry aging is the yield is low. you can loose 20% to 30% between the water weight and trimming the rind after the aging. The last thing you want to do is reduce your yield when you sell by the pound.Which is why you dont see dry aged beef often and if you do it's twice the price or more.