When we hear the word ‘seafood’, the first thing that usually comes to our mind is fish. It would be justified to say that it is the rockstar of the seafood world. Either you go for salmon or tuna, sablefish or sardines, it will never leave your taste buds and health goals disappointed. Health experts recommend consuming fish at least twice a week, every week. In order to follow this recommendation, we need a regular supply of fish.
Many of us can’t manage to go shopping every other day. What if you are unable to buy fresh fish every day? Can you store fish in our fridge without compromising the seafood’s safety, quality, taste and flavour? Can you also freeze it to prolong the shelf life of fish?
Not all fish are created equal!
How long fish can last in the fridge or freezer?
The answer may vary from species to species. Let’s have a quick look at the duration for which you can store fish in your fridge or freezer before it gets fishy!
Salmon
Salmon is a fatty fish. Fresh salmon like wild sockeye salmon, spring salmon, pink salmon and other kinds of salmon can last for 1-2 days in your fridge in their raw state while the smoked salmon can last up to 5-6 days in the fridge.
On the other hand, the cooked salmon can last for up to 3 days in your fridge. The general rule of thumb is the lesser time you wait before cooking salmon, the longer you can keep the cooked salmon without compromising its quality and taste.
If you think it would not be possible to cook fresh salmon within 2 days of buying it, keeping the seafood safety in mind, the best choice would be to freeze the salmon. Proper freezing can make it last for up to 9 months in your home freezer, before the quality-decline.
Tuna
Tuna is also a popular species of fish. Species of tuna include bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna, and, wild albacore tuna, which are all sustainable seafood choices. Tuna may last in your fridge for 1-2 days before getting spoiled. If you freeze it, the tuna may retain its quality for around 2-3months.
Halibut
Halibut is a flatfish that may last well in the fridge for up to 3 days. Wild Pacific halibut is the biggest kind of halibut. In order to store halibut for more than 3 days, you can freeze it. It may last for up to 6 months in your domestic freezer.
All Things Considered
Like all seafood items, fish also has a shelf life. It is best to consume fish as fresh as possible. If it is not an option to consume it within 2-3 days after you buy fresh fish, we can prolong the shelf life of fish by freezing it. One more convenient option would be to buy the fish that is flash-frozen at sea, as it is a modern freezing technique in which seafood is frozen soon after it was caught to avoid the formation of ice crystals and to lock the freshness, quality and flavour in the fish for approximately one year.
