How Long is Salmon Good For in the Fridge? 2 Days?

How Long is Salmon Good For in the Fridge? 2 Days?

Do you know how long is salmon good for in the fridge? And how long can you keep raw salmon? Let’s find out!

In an ideal world, you’d bring out just the amount of salmon you need to prepare for your weekday meals or weekend parties. But, as we all know, life occurs, and the most frequently asked question is: how long does salmon remain in the refrigerator?

If you have eyes bigger than stomachs like us, here are several storage strategies that can let you keep your salmon up to twice as long! Like a Michelin-starred chef, prepare your fish for preservation!

Most people don’t understand that if you want to maximize your salmon for preservation, it all starts with the preparation. Seasoning your salmon with salt will prolong the shelf life of your raw salmon while also increasing its taste.

Lay the salmon fillets in a tray or pan and cover them with salt, whether you are preparing the salmon for dinner or just for the fridge. This technique naturally removes all of the salmon’s surplus moisture and enhances its umami taste. Next, drain the pan and rinse the fillets to remove all of the salt before patting them dry. 

Can I keep cooked salmon in the fridge?

Uncooked salmon

Raw salmon purchased at your local supermarket is frequently only good for 1-2 days. This is because of the extensive seafood supply chain, which transports the salmon overseas to be processed before it reaches the retailer.

The seafood may take 20-30 days to arrive at your local shop. Cooked salmon can be safely stored in the refrigerator for three to four days, according to the USDA. If you don’t think you’ll eat it within that timeframe, you can keep it in the freezer for up to three months if it hasn’t been out of the fridge for more than an hour.

How long is salmon good for in the fridge?

How long is salmon good for in the fridge

There is no simple answer because it depends on the quality and freshness of the salmon. Raw salmon from your local grocer is often only good for 1-2 days after purchase.

This is owing to the lengthy supply chain mentioned above.  Unlike traditional grocery stores, some provide fresh, flash-frozen fish delivered to your home. With careful storage and treatment, your salmon should last around 4-5 days in the fridge this way.

How long does uncooked salmon last in the fridge?

How long does uncooked salmon last in the fridge

Once your salmon has completely defrosted, store it in the refrigerator until ready to cook. In a sealable plastic bag, remove as much air as possible from your salmon fillet. The best method to do this is to fill a big dish with water. Lower the bagged salmon into the water bowl slowly, closed end first, while maintaining the seal open. All of the air will be forced out if the creases in the bag are maintained to a minimum. Close the bag after lowering it into the water until it is just below the seal. It’s now time to place it in the refrigerator.

It should be kept in the refrigerator at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Because most household refrigerators are about 38 degrees Fahrenheit – not exactly optimal for fresh, raw salmon, you can fill a big roasting pan or any similar dish with lots of ice and lay your salmon fillets or entire fish on top.

How long does cooked salmon last in the refrigerator?

Cooked salmon

Salmon is perhaps the world’s second most consumed fish, trailing only tuna. It’s sophisticated enough to compliment nearly any meal, but it can’t be fried and served with fries too on a busy weekday.

How do I know if the salmon is still good?

The salmon is still good?

There are a few things to look out for to ensure that salmon hasn’t gone bad when storing, preparing, cooking, or reheating.

Of course, salmon is best when it’s fresh; if it starts to get smelly, avoid it at all costs. I’m sure most of us are aware of the dangers of rotting seafood. It’s not a lovely sight.

These helpful hints might assist you in avoiding it. Salmon is one of those meals that, when eaten fresh and properly cooked, is quite healthful. It is lean and high in nutrients, making it ideal for a healthy diet. If you’re trying to lose weight, it’s an excellent substitute for fatty meats.

You don’t want to lose weight by vomiting up stale salmon, so let’s speak about how to determine whether uncooked salmon is safe to devour.

Uncooked salmon

Raw salmon should not have a ‘fishy‘ odor, feel slippery, or have any discoloration. Furthermore, if the flesh is mushy to the touch (rather than solid), it’s time to throw it out. Raw fish should have a distinct fishy odor. Of course, fish should smell like fish, but raw salmon that has gone bad will smell particularly nasty. The stink should pervade everything in its vicinity, leaving no doubt that the fish has gone bad. 

If the fishy odor seems to be as strong as it should be, cook it and then taste or smell it.  You might also try the texture test from before. That works as nicely on both fresh and cooked salmon.

The texture test is impossible to perform on frozen fish, and the scent might be less evident as well. How do you know if your frozen salmon is spoiled?

We recommend taking a thorough sniff at it. The odor will continue to be persistent. It could simply be muffled by the cold. You can also defrost the frozen fish and examine its texture.

Cooked salmon

As awful as it sounds, it’s best to avoid any risk and throw out cooked salmon that has been sitting in the fridge for more than three or four days. Otherwise, inspect the cooked salmon to see if it begins to smell “wrong” or appears slimy.

The smell will be one of your earliest clues. If the fish smells nasty or unpleasant, it is probably dangerous to eat. The color of rotten salmon changes on a regular basis. It may be more difficult to determine if you seasoned and breaded the salmon, but if the breading goes bad, the fish is likely spoilt as well.

You may also test and taste it. A small amount of infected salmon is unlikely to damage you. Try a bite and see if it tastes strange to you. If the flavor is wrong in any way, it is best to discard it rather than risk it.

Tips for properly preserving salmon

Ice is the most effective method of storing fish, even better than freezing and storing in the fridge.  It will be able to keep going for a longer, without being dehydrated. Place it in an ice-filled bag on top of a cooler. You may also make a saltwater slurry by combining ice, water, and salt. If you’re doing it right, they can last 9-12 months in the freezer.

Because of the airflow, anything in the fridge or freezer is prone to burning. A chest freezer, on the other hand, burns much slower. Because plastic is permeable, air may pass through it. Freezing fish is an excellent method for removing parasites present in salmon. To reduce the risk, every real sushi-grade fish is frozen. Otherwise, the limit for storing it in the fridge is three days.

Before you worry about how to preserve your salmon, you’ll want to start with buying the best quality you can find locally. Always look for popping red and orange coloring and some marbling as well. The fillet should be firm to the touch. The red flags are breakage, flaking, or chalky dryness. 

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Candy Seideman has been cooking for most of her life. In fact she is referred to as "The Chef" by most of her close family not only because she attended culinary school and was an actual chef, but also because she has a passion for cooking for friends and family.