Common Seafood Questions Answered

Here are the most common questions I get here about seafood so I thought I would address them here in one post. Fresh fish seems the major concern.


When does fish go bad? When fish goes bad is determined by the temperature it is stored at. At minus 10 degrees F or below it can last up to 12 months, at 30 degrees F about 7 days, at 40 degrees F (approx normal home refrigeration temp) about two to three days.


How fast does fish go bad? Typically it will last in home refrigeration two to three days after brought home from the market. Temperature is always the key to how fast fish goes bad, the colder you can keep fish the longer it stays consumable.


When is fish bad? Whole fish is bad when the eyes get cloudy and the gills get brownish in color, always look for clear eyes and ruby red gills when buying fish whole or having one filleted or steaked out. Cut fish is bad when the flesh does not spring back from touch, the flesh is opaque and/or has an ammonia type odor.

When is fresh or wild salmon season? People often ask for fresh salmon when they mean wild salmon that is why I included both terms. Typically wild salmon season runs from first of March to late November although some species are available late into winter. My advice is to always buy Alaskan salmon, if it is not available fresh, frozen Alaskan salmon is just as good, the process they use often makes the frozen salmon actually fresher than the "fresh" salmon you buy in market.


Is seafood better for you than red meat? Yes, it is recommended you have two to three servings of seafood a week compared to one of red meat, and yes pork is included in red meat despite their advertising it as a white meat. There is just so much good nutrition you can obtain from seafood that you just can't get from any other single food source, plus it is a high-grade protein.

How does fish go bad? Fish goes bad by not keeping it at the right temperature or for too long, or both. Keep fish refrigerated below 40 degrees F and it will keep up to three days if it was fresh when you bought it.

I know a lot of these questions seem repetitive, but I felt they approached the same concern from different angles and should be addressed that way. Most people are concerned about the freshness of fish because of safety and health concerns, but remember this; seafood is the single safest product in your grocery store, it's a proven fact. Buy smart so your fish is fresh when you get it, keep seafood refrigerated properly, consume within three days of purchase, and enjoy a delicious, healthy meal.

If you have any seafood questions that was not answered here please post it in comments and I will be glad to answer them for you.