Home cooks frequently fail to use up all of the ingredients purchased from the shop, which is one of our biggest concerns. After obtaining the precise portion size for your meals, proper storage is essential to preserving the freshness of any leftover items that haven't yet been used.
Much like other seafood, salmon can only be kept fresh at room temperature for a short time. We'll explore various scenarios that call for different storage methods today to maintain the freshness of both leftover cooked salmon and raw salmon.
How Long Can Salmon Stay Good in The Fridge?
- Raw Salmon
Similar to other types of raw meat, raw salmon cannot be stored at room temperature for more than two hours, otherwise it will start to spoil. If you purchase raw salmon in packages from your local stores, make sure to keep it in the fridge for 2 days or until the quality starts to diminish.
Freshly caught salmon can last longer in the fridge, usually 4 - 5 days (if stored properly). However, since not everyone can live close to the fish farms or the agricultural supply chain, 2 days is typically the recommended expiration date for raw salmon stored in the refrigerator. It's ideal to schedule your meals for the time frame stated, or better yet, transfer the raw fish to the freezer for a longer duration of storage.
How to Store Salmon in the Fridge
- Raw Salmon
- Step 1: Thoroughly wash the fish filet in cold water and dry it with a paper towel.
- Step 2: Place it in a sealable bag, remove as much air as you can, and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap before putting it in the coldest part of the refrigerator.
The ideal temperature at which raw salmon is kept in the fridge should be somewhere around 32-38 °F.
If you intend to cook it the same day you buy it rather than wrapping it and storing it in the fridge: Place the fish on a large baking pan, and stack it with crushed ice both beneath and on top of it. By doing this, you can have more time to prepare your meal without worrying that the fish will spoil too quickly.
- Cooked Salmon/Smoked Salmon
Cooked salmon can sit at room temperature for up to 2 hours for food safety; longer than that and it needs to be put in the fridge to preserve freshness. In the fridge, it may last for up to 1 week, depending on the specific ingredients of the dish. After you remove it from the fridge, make sure it's consumed within the very same day.
How to Store Salmon in the Freezer
- Raw Salmon
If you don't plan on eating salmon within the first few days of purchasing, consider freezing it to preserve the freshness and flavor for longer. In the freezer, it should last for up to 3 months, after which it can still be consumed safely, but with a declined quality.
- Step 1: Rinse the salmon under cold and pat it dry with paper towels. If the cut is too big, cut it into smaller portions that will fit into your container.
- Step 2: Wrap the salmon tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Make sure it's completely covered and sealed to prevent freezer burn.
- Step 3: Place the wrapped fish in freezer-safe bags or airtight containers. Squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing.
- Step 4: Label the package with a date to keep track of when the fish is expired.
- Step 5: Place the package in the freezer for storage. One day prior to serving, remove the piece from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator where it can thaw overnight.
Note that you should never thaw raw salmon by submerging it in hot water. If the salmon is still solid and cold after thawing in the refrigerator, simply keep it wrapped in plastic, put it in a bowl, and run it under cold water in the sink until the salmon is completely thawed.
You can still cook salmon straight from raw and frozen if you just don't have enough time to wait until it's thawed. There will be a difference in cooking time, though, as the fish will need more time to cook to the USDA-required internal temperature of 145 °F. Of course, this will result in a difference in taste and texture.
- Cooked Salmon/Smoked Salmon
To maintain the quality of salmon at its best, we don’t recommend freezing cooked or smoked portions. You can safely keep the leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days, and it’s best to finish them up within this period.
Can You Refreeze The Previously Frozen Salmon?
Salmon can be safe for another round of freezing (or in other words - refreeze) as long as the following conditions are met:
- You have thawed the previously frozen salmon properly.
- The salmon was thawed in the fridge but hasn't been exposed to room temperature since. Otherwise, you can be at risk of getting foodborne illnesses.
Similar to the first time you freeze salmon, please make sure to remove as much moisture from the fish as you can before placing it in a vacuum-sealed bag or container and placing it in the freezer.
How Can You Tell If Salmon Has Gone Bad?
Fortunately, there are many ways to tell if salmon has gone bad. A fishy scent can mean that a salmon filet has already gone bad since fresh salmon has a well-known pleasant aroma. If a salmon filet feels slimy and squishy to the touch or has bruised patches on the outside, it has very likely been spoiled and should be thrown away.
Fresh raw salmon has a shiny surface with a bright pink-coral color and a moderate amount of marbling pattern. It should not exhibit any signs of breaking or crumbling and should be solid, moist, and slightly spongy to the touch as opposed to watery.
When buying whole salmon, examine the gills, tail, and scales carefully. The gills should be bright and reddish, not brown, the tail should be moist, and the scales should be tight and lustrous.
Similarly, a serving of cooked salmon that has expired will also smell fishy with brown spots or discoloration in areas.
Once you've learned how long salmon lasts and the proper ways to store it, you can have salmon meals at any time you want. Check out our guides on how to cook salmon in the air fryer and how to grill salmon for easy-peasy ways to turn out restaurant-worthy dishes.
Luna Regina
Writer, Author