Fish is a staple food cooked in different varieties all around the world. One of the most considerable problems related to cooking fish is the bad odor that is left behind. In order to remove that bad smell from the house firstly, we need to know what makes the fish smelly?
Well, the answer is simple TMA(TriMethylAmine), a compound that is necessary for the survival of most fish inside the water. TMA, unfortunately, is not so welcomed by the sense of smell of humans.
Humans are susceptible to the bad odor released from the cells of TMA molecules once the fish is dead. Without further ado, let us share with you several remedies to solve this pretty common problem.
How to Get Fish Smell Out of House – A Definitive Guide
These points will surely help to get the fish smell out of the house;
1. Use of Lemon Juice
The TMA compound released by the enzymes inside the fish is basic in nature with a pH of above 7. Lemon, on the other hand, is an acidic compound. The acidic component of lemon juice reacts with TMA and succeeds in neutralizing the bad odor.
While cooking, the use of lemon juice greatly reduces the troublesome smell of the fish whilst also enhancing the taste of the fish. This will help in reducing or even eliminating the fish smell from the house afterward once it’s cooked and eaten.
2. Use of Fresh Fish
The smelly odor of the fish is mostly from the old refrigerated fish that has been lying around for quite some time. A simple remedy is to always buy fresh and clean fish from a hygienic place. You should also check out the cooking tips I have mentioned below to remove the odor right from the start.
This is one of the reasons I always try to get fresh fish and cook it as soon as I clean it. Applying this technique will make no smell especially if you are doing indoor cooking.
3. Kitchen Cleaning
Once you have thoroughly cooked the fish and have had your meal. Make sure to clean your kitchen comprehensively with a suitable cleaner having lemon extracts in it. The lemon extracts will help in removing the odor from the fish pots and other utensils used.
I always try to clean my kitchen as soon as I’m done cooking. In this way, I don’t even let the smell get into my house as the kitchen is already cleaned from all the mess of cooking.
4. Proper Ventilation
Ventilation is another aspect that can greatly come in handy while dealing with this situation. You need to have a proper ventilation exhaust running while cooking and that the windows are open so that the fish smells do not get trapped inside the kitchen. In addition to this, you should also close the doors of bedrooms and living rooms, etc so that the fish smell does not spread.
5. Sweet/Baked Goods
The sweet smell coming from cookies or baked goods may also help in hindering and undermining the smell coming from the fish. If you have a sweet dish in the house you can also put it to use without wasting any time.
Believe me, this is one of the best techniques that I’ve applied to get rid of the foul fish smell from my house.
6. Use of Baking Soda
Baking soda can help in minimizing the smell of fish. Especially when the fish is stored in the refrigerator. The use of baking soda can help overcome the odor released from the TMA compounds. You can try using this tip. But it might not be enough and you might also need to properly clean the fridge in addition to the use of baking soda.
7. Soaking in Raw Milk
Soaking the fish in raw milk allows the case in protein component of the milk to bind with the TMA molecules and eliminate the smell.
8. Cooking with Lemon
Lemon can also be used while cooking the fish and it allows the lemon’s acidic nature to react with the TMA’s basic nature in order to neutralize it. Alternatively, vinegar can also be used for this purpose.
To be honest, cooking with lemon not only increases the taste and aroma of fish, but it also helps in minimizing the foul smell that might frustrate you a lot. So, never give up on this technique especially if you want to get rid of the foul fish smell without any worries.
Aside from the above-mentioned tips and tricks to remove the unlikable fish smell coming from the house. I will also be sharing some of the tips on how to cook the fish in such a way that prevents odors :
- Firstly, Purchase the finest quality of fish within your budget, and double-check to make sure that the fish is fresh.
- Choose milder fish types like Arctic Char which is pretty similar to a Salmon.
- Avoid dishes like salted cod and oily fishes like mackerel, bluefish, and anchovies if you are worried that the fish might smell.
- Clean the raw fish completely with the cold water for about 20 minutes so that the odor-causing bacteria and TMA are cleared away.
- Soak the fish in raw milk, the casein protein present inside the milk can bind with the TMA molecules and hence eliminate the smell.
- Cook the fish with an acidic natural extract of Vinegar or Lemon, so that they can neutralize the TMA odor by reacting with it.
Summarizing Things Up
There are tons of ways to cook fish. You just need to follow some of the simplest tips I have mentioned above to have a smell-free cooking experience.
This way you will be better able to cook for yourself or your loved ones without any trouble. Let us hope you find one of the tips in this article helpful. If you have any queries regarding the topic of the article I’m here to assist you.
Hey there! I’m Oliver Adler, the kayak-paddling, fish-catching enthusiast. My love for the water started with a childhood spent by the sea, and it’s grown into a lifelong passion for everything from kayaking to kite surfing, and yes, even fishing.
