Rich in omega 3 fatty acids, salmon stays up there as one of our favorite healthy protein-source foods and it just happens to have an added advantage of being super delicious.
Along with these endearing attributes, salmon is also quite on the pricey side, so it is not surprising that you may want to know how good of a storage option the refrigerator seems to be for salmon.
If you want to know how long salmon can stay in the fridge, we got you!
Here’s our ultimate guide to your frequently asked salmon-related questions.
How long can salmon stay in the fridge?
Raw salmon can stay 1- 2 days in the fridge while cooked salmon can stay as long as 3 – 4 days in the fridge.
If you leave raw salmon to stay in the fridge for more than 2 days, you’re inviting a problem. It begins to go rotten and becomes unsafe to consume. When it starts to spoil, you should expect that it will smell incredibly fishy and not like regular fish, and it develops changes in texture.
Meanwhile, when cooked salmon stays in the fridge for up to 7 days, it may not always show signs of spoilage, but its taste and quality would have severely declined. It is not recommended to eat cooked salmon that has been in the fridge for more than 4 days.
How long does salmon last in the freezer?
Three months for raw salmon and up to six months for cooked salmon. The reason why this may seem like such a short storage window is because of salmon’s high-fat content. Fatty fish like herring and mackerel tend to lose quality quicker than lean fishes like bass, cod.
It is usually best to freeze salmon that was cooked with fewer ingredients. The cooked salmon that is to be frozen should be kept at the bottom or sides of the freezer to prevent water from oozing out of the fish and crystallizing. These frozen crystals can cause the texture of the fish to be ruined.
How long does vacuum-sealed salmon last in the freezer?
Salmon that has been well vacuum-sealed and frozen will last in the freezer for up to two years. If you have no short-term plans for your salmon, vacuum sealing it is probably the best way to go because it prevents your salmon from freezer burn and dehydration.
How long does salmon stay in the fridge after thawing?
Two days. When salmon has been defrosted, it can last in the fridge for up to two days. Anything after two days is very unsafe. This is because the salmon will begin to show signs of spoilage like color change, change in texture, and a change in smell.
What happens if you eat bad salmon?
Food poisoning; Ciguatera poisoning and scombroid poisoning.
Ciguatera Poisoning
Baseline symptoms of ciguatera poisoning include abdominal cramps, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. These symptoms can develop into headaches, muscle aches, itchiness, stinginess, or numbness of the skin. Other symptoms include a metallic taste in your mouth, feeling like your teeth at loose, a change in your ability to sense hot and cold temperatures.
Scombroid poisoning
Symptoms include hives, vomiting, abdominal pain, nausea, and flushing (face turning red).
Symptoms usually develop twenty to thirty minutes after you must have eaten the bad salmon.
Can frozen salmon go bad?
Yes, frozen salmon can go bad. Raw salmon that has been frozen lasts for up to 3 months in the freezer, anything after that, you should expect to notice signs of spoilage on the salmon.
Additionally, cooked salmon can last in the freezer for up to 6months, and leaving it in the freezer past period is a recipe for spoilage.
How do you know if frozen salmon is bad?
You know that frozen salmon is bad when there’s a change in texture, smell, and look.
Texture signs
- If the salmon is soggy from being frozen.
- If the flesh breaks too easily.
Smell signs of spoilage
- If it smells aggressively fishy.
- If it has a moldy door.
Visual signs of spoilage
- Dull, Gray color.
- Uncharacteristic dark spots on the skin.
- Odd growths like slimy feel, mold, or discoloration.
- For fresh salmon, sunken, whitish eyes.
Read also: Can You Eat Frozen Salmon Raw?
How to tell if frozen salmon is bad
Using your senses is probably the most convenient way to tell if salmon is going bad.
Here’s how to check for spoilage in your salmon in three ways:
Feel it
- A texture Change in a spoiling salmon is pretty common.
- Carefully press down the salmon flesh, if it comes back up, it is safe, otherwise, you should avoid eating it.
- Also, if your salmon has a slimy, sticky feel, or falls apart when touched, it is most likely spoiled.
Smell it
- The most convenient of these methods is using your sense of smell.
- Task a quick sniff of the salmon, if it smells rotten, or too fishy, there’s a problem somewhere.
Eyeball the salmon thoroughly
By carefully looking at the salmon, you can identify the following spoilage signs:
Sticky or whitish gills, dull or grey hue, unusual dark spots or growths like mold, and sunken, whitish, or filmy eyes.
