Shelf life of fish: in the refrigerator or freezer

It is difficult to imagine a healthy lifestyle without fish dishes in the diet. Fish is a rich source of essential amino acids, iodine, vitamins, micro and macroelements. Many housewives have favorite fish dishes that they would like to cook as often as possible, but lately they have to wait for the fish of the desired type to appear on the counter again. Due to high demand and a decrease in the number of individuals in the population, you can try some types of fish only during the season when their fishing is permitted. It's easy to prepare your favorite fish dishes. To do this, it is enough to be able to choose the right product, prepare it for storage and defrost it before cooking, and also know how long and how to store fresh fish in the refrigerator.

Shelf life of fresh and live fish

If it is not possible to immediately prepare the product, it should be placed in the refrigerator. Species of fish that are least demanding of the composition of the water and the concentration of oxygen in it are allowed for live storage. For this purpose, retail outlets selling live fish are equipped with special aquariums in which proper conditions are maintained.

The taste of the future dish depends on the storage conditions of the fish.

The most important in this case are:

water quality;
temperature;
oxygen content in water;
absence of hydrogen sulfide and methane.

Water from ponds containing phytoplankton is considered unsuitable for keeping live fish.

Tap water must be dechlorinated before being used to store live fish, which is most easily done by blowing air through the water for 10-15 minutes. In addition, specialized filters and activated carbon are used to improve water quality.

Much attention is paid to water temperature. This is due to the fact that when the temperature is too high, pathogenic microflora develops in the water, and when the temperature is too low, the fish falls asleep.

The shelf life of live fish in aquariums installed in special stores is no more than 2 days.

When storing chilled fish carcasses, the main parameter is the temperature in the thickness of the meat and in the spine area, which should be within -1...-5°C. More pronounced cooling leads to freezing.

Chilled fish carcasses should be stored with ice in a 1:1 ratio. But such cooling is uneven.

It should be remembered that this may reduce the quality of the product due to injury and deformation. Products cooled by a cold liquid medium have higher quality.

In a refrigerator

The length of time fresh fish products can safely remain in the refrigerator depends on the temperature. If the refrigeration equipment is equipped with a special compartment in which the temperature is maintained at -2...0°C, fish can be stored for up to 3 days.

Shelf life of fish products in the home refrigerator.

At +5…+6°C the period should not exceed a day. You can extend storage a little by placing the product in a container and adding ice cubes.

In the freezer

In this case, the most reliable conditions for fish products are created. Fish is frozen if you intend to store it for more than 2 days. Place the products in the freezer in small portions, wrapping each in plastic.

Frozen fresh fish carcass can be stored for up to several months. Such storage does not affect the organoleptic properties or nutritional value.

Thaws a frozen semi-finished product for several hours. It is strongly not recommended to speed up this process with hot water or a microwave.

It should be remembered that repeated freezing of fish will dramatically change the density of the product and its organoleptic properties for the worse (thawed fish products cannot be frozen).

Shelf life of fish in the freezer.

At room temperature

It is not recommended to store fresh fish at room conditions, even for a short time. This product is perishable, and keeping it in room conditions can trigger the onset of irreversible processes.

Ready-made fish dishes can be kept at room conditions (for example, on the table) for 2 hours. After this period of time, it is recommended to put fish dishes in the refrigerator.

Vacuum packed

Vacuum packaging allows you to increase the shelf life of the product several times. During the storage period, the appearance, smell and taste of fish products are preserved. Modern technology of vacuum packaging with the addition of inert gases, used in industrial conditions, also eliminates the development of anaerobic bacteria.

The shelf life of fish products in vacuum packaging depends on the type of fish, its freshness and pre-processing.

Vacuum-packed fish can be stored for several months.

Salmon packed using vacuum technology retains its properties and does not spoil in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

In attics or basements

Long-term storage of fresh fish in attics and basements becomes safe at low temperatures - less than -10...-15°C. Under such storage conditions, the product is frozen and can be stored for up to 3-4 months without losing its consumer qualities.

In a temperature range of -1...- 5°C, fish can be stored, packed with ice, for up to several days (48-72 hours). Raw fish products should not be stored at higher temperatures.

Sun-dried fish tolerates storage in attics and basements much better. For this, a cool room protected from excess dampness is sufficient.

Correct defrosting

According to all the rules, defrosting is an important stage in storing fish. When a frozen carcass is simply placed in water and waited for it to thaw, the meat partially loses its nutritional value. The taste will deteriorate, and the carcass itself will lose its dense structure.

Defrosting should take place on the refrigerator shelf, on a dish. The carcass is moved there from the freezer in the evening so that it is ready for cooking in the morning.
After defrosting, wipe the pieces well with a napkin so that no moisture remains on them.
You can also use a microwave for defrosting (select the appropriate mode first). This way the product is defrosted if it needs to be cooked very quickly.
You can cook fish soup from unfrozen fish.
This product cannot be re-frozen. This will lead to the structure and composition of the fish changing, and it will become dangerous to eat.

If the housewife knows exactly how long frozen fish can be stored, she can safely prepare various dishes from it and always be confident in the quality of her products.

How and how long to store dried and dried fish

Only fish of high quality and without signs of spoilage, such as an unpleasant odor, are allowed to be stored dried. The storage room for dried fish should be cool.

Good fit:

Storage temperature for smoked fish.

pantry without windows;
shaded balcony;
attic.

It is recommended to wrap fish carcasses with parchment paper or tracing paper. Large fish are wrapped individually, and small fish are wrapped in small groups. This will prevent it from drying out.

The bundles are hung in places where the sun's rays do not reach. The recommended air humidity in such a room is 70-80%. At higher humidity, the fish will become moldy. Drier air in storage will cause the product to dry out.

Fish varieties with low fat content are suitable for dry storage. The best method is to store dried fish carcasses, wrapped in plastic, in the freezer. After removal from the freezer, such a semi-finished product needs to be dried.

Dried fish carcasses wrapped in paper are stored in the refrigerator for a long time. In this case, they are suitable for consumption for six months.

Large quantities of dried fish products can be stored in cardboard or wooden boxes, covered with fabric. In this form, the product can be stored for 6 months.

Consequences of incorrect product content

Improper storage of the product can lead to the following consequences:

reduction of shelf life and spoilage of carcasses;
shrinkage, during which the consistency of the meat changes, the smell and color of the meat changes;
triggering the hydrolysis of fatty acids - the skin turns yellow, a foreign odor appears;
the appearance of mold and putrefactive decomposition of the product occurs when it is not frozen;
darkening of the surface upon contact with air;
absorption of foreign odors - this occurs if the carcasses were not hermetically packaged;
weakening of the consistency of the fibers, separation of muscle tissue occurs during slow freezing.

How to store salted and lightly salted fish

The shelf life of salted fish is directly proportional to the amount of salt used. The presence of brine significantly increases the permissible shelf life of salted fish.

At temperatures 0…- 3 °C, shelf life depends on the type of product:

lightly salted salmon can be stored for 2 to 3 days;
herring - 15-20 days;
mackerel with high fat content - from 7 to 10 days.

Lightly salted fish without vacuum packaging is usable for a maximum of 5-6 days; and marinated, medium-salted fish products can be stored for up to 2 weeks.

For the longest time - up to 3 months - you can keep herring, salmon and salmon carcasses cut into pieces in the refrigerator, provided they are filled with vegetable oil.

Factors preserving the quality of salted fish.

Salted herring in the freezer

If the goal of saving is to prepare pickled herring for future use, then use the freezer. The period of preservation of the taste and beneficial qualities of the product does not exceed 6 months.

Herring can be preserved in different forms:

in a jar in pieces, with vegetable oil;
in a dense polyethylene container;
in a vacuum;
in a polyethylene bag with brine.

Important! The defrosting process must take place in the refrigerator compartment. Do not defrost the product in a microwave oven or by adding boiling water.

Shelf life of canned fish

Both fish carcasses, cut into pieces, and offal (for example, cod liver) are canned. The shelf life of canned fish products does not exceed 2 years.

The period during which canned fish products retain their beneficial properties and do not spoil does not depend in any way on the composition of the sauce or on the spices added during canning.

After opening, it is recommended to transfer the contents of the can into a porcelain or glass container. SanPiN prescribes storing opened canned food for no more than 24 hours.

Signs of spoiled products

Spoiled fish can be easily identified by its unpleasant odor. In addition, there are other signs that indicate an expired expiration date:

Sticky or slimy surface of the scales;
Dull eyes;
Easy separation of meat from bones when parsing fish;
The gills are brown or gray;
Gray meat (for salmon);
Disintegrating meat fibers;
Dents that do not disappear for a long time when pressing on the scales;
Rotten fish float when you put water in it.

By careful inspection, you can easily determine the spoilage of dried, pickled, smoked or dried fish.

It is much more difficult to recognize a spoiled frozen product. You will need to examine the surface of the fish very carefully. There should be no stains or other signs of damage. There is an additional method that involves using a hot knife. You need to heat the knife very much and immerse it in the pulp.

Then remove it and smell it. Spoiled fish has a rotten smell. A similar method is used to check marinated and smoked fish. But instead of a knife, they use a sharpened match, a wooden skewer or a toothpick.

How to store ready-made fish dishes

Ready-made fried or boiled fish dishes should not be left on the dining table for more than 2 hours at room temperature. After this time, you need to place them in the refrigerator, and then they will be usable for another 2 days.

It is recommended to store ready-to-eat Japanese dishes in special sushi chambers for no more than 48 hours.

We are talking about blanks for making rolls, carcasses cut into pieces. Already made rolls cannot be stored.

The shelf life of fish oil capsules is 2 years.

Legislative norms

Fish is one of the main food products of Russians, so the state has developed standards for its storage, which must not be violated. In particular, this process is regulated by GOST 32366-2013 “Frozen fish. Technical conditions".

The document states that the storage temperature of any frozen fish should not be lower than -18 degrees .

The packaging of frozen fish must contain information about its expiration date, storage mode, freezing method, batch number, packing date, etc. These indicators are regulated by GOST 7630-96.

Signs of fish spoilage

It is possible to determine that fish products have begun to deteriorate without conducting laboratory analysis.

Signs of poor quality fish.

A product that has begun to lose its consumer qualities has the following signs:

unpleasant odor;
the presence of mucus on the gills;
change in gill color from a natural red tint to gray, brown, greenish;
cloudy, sunken eyes that are gray or brown;
in naturally brightly colored fish, the bright shades disappear and become faded;
the mucus covering the carcass becomes sticky, increases in volume, and clots appear;
the elasticity of the meat decreases: when pressed, a dent remains that does not straighten out for a long time (in this way you can determine the freshness of both fish carcasses and fillets or steaks);
the scales of spoiled fish fall off and come off easily;
the meat in the ridge area takes on a reddish tint.

How can you tell if your fish has gone bad?

The following signs indicate product damage:

discoloration of meat, scales and skin - yellow and whitish areas are an obvious sign of spoilage;
weight change - spoiled fish becomes lighter;
the appearance of mucus after defrosting - it indicates a bacterial infection;
deep biochemical changes are indicated by a garlicky or putrid odor;
the smell of hydrogen sulfide indicates that the breakdown of proteins was started before the product was frozen;
When bacterial decomposition of meat occurs, an ammonia smell appears.

How to extend shelf life

If necessary, you can extend the shelf life of fish products using the following techniques:

freezing (staying in the freezer significantly slows down destructive processes and extends the period during which fish products retain their nutritional qualities);
vacuum packaging;
drying (dried fish carcasses are stored much longer than fresh, raw ones)
salting (at home you can salt both bream caught in the river and pink salmon, trout, and halibut bought in a store); You can store salted fish in a glass jar.

Catch storage methods.

Freezing fish at home

In practice, three methods of freezing a product are used. Let's look at the features of each of them. Naturally frozen fish has the shortest shelf life. An additional disadvantage is the loss of density and structure during defrosting.

The second method involves artificial wet freezing. It involves a glazing process where the fish is covered with a thin layer of ice. This allows you to increase shelf life.

Even better results can be achieved with shock (another name is dry) freezing. It is carried out at temperatures around -30 degrees. This option requires a good freezer that can provide the necessary conditions.

Folk ways to keep fish fresh

When for some reason it is not possible to keep fish in a refrigerator, then it is permissible to use traditional storage methods that do not require special equipment or costs. A cleaned carcass can remain fresh for two days when it is well sprinkled with salt inside and out, and then wrapped in a towel, which was previously moistened with a solution of 2 tsp. sugar and vinegar. If you salt fish like this, it is suitable for eating for no more than two days.

It is possible to extend the storage period for another day if you not only salt the fish, but also add black pepper and leave the carcass in a well-ventilated room. In addition to the above, it is advisable to send fish for storage on the balcony when the air temperature is no more than +2 ̊C.

It is possible to extend the shelf life of fresh fish if you cook it in brine - a strong salty solution, when so much of this mineral is added to the water that the potato does not sink to the bottom of the container.

Reference! When fishing, it is possible to prolong the freshness of the catch if you bury a tightly closed bucket with the fish that was caught in the ground near the reservoir.

The healthiest and tastiest fish is fresh, therefore, if you need to bring vitamins and other necessary elements from fish into the body, you need to not only choose certain types of fish (red - salmon, salmon, pink salmon, trout) that have sufficient fat content (smelt , omul), but don’t keep it in the refrigerator for long. It is also important to cook correctly - you should not fry fillets or fish steaks in a large amount of fat, making the fish oily. When you plan to fry such a product, the pan must be virtually dry and fry with a minimum amount of oil.

Seafood storage

Shellfish, shrimp, lobsters and crabs, as well as their meat that has been boiled, must be stored at a temperature not exceeding +2 °C. The storage period for these delicacies does not exceed 1-2 days. In the case of live mussels, oysters and other bivalves, the storage period reaches 2-3 days at temperatures of +5...+10 ̊С.

Also very important! Note:

If the packaging is vacuum, its integrity should not be damaged during defrosting.
We do not recommend storing dry-frozen fish and seafood (not covered with a protective glaze) for longer than 3 months; (!) By the way, FisH2O does not sell dry-frozen fish, and our protective glaze is no more than 4% according to GOST
Seafood can be defrosted by rinsing in cold water and started cooking.
Boiled frozen shrimp - defrost and eat! We do not subject to repeated heat treatment
There is no need to defrost semi-finished products. This is probably clear to everyone

Freshness of cold smoked fish

With cold smoking and a temperature of -2..-5 ̊C, it is permissible to keep the fish for up to 75 days. But a lot depends on the type:

herring – 45-60 days;
balyk herring, horse mackerel, mackerel, notothenia, horse mackerel, whitefish – 15-30 days;
mackerel – 45-60 days;
horse mackerel – 45-60 days.

At temperatures of -2...+2 ̊С, it is undesirable to keep fish products subjected to cold smoking for more than 3-4 days.

Freshness of hot smoked fish

Such a product can last in the refrigerator provided that the temperature is maintained at -2...+2 ̊C for 3 days, and if this dish is frozen to -30 ̊C, the shelf life increases to one month. Before use, you must allow the hot smoked carcass to gradually, without forced heating, reach a temperature of +8 ̊̊C in the refrigerator compartment.

Results

Fish is a product that has many beneficial properties for the human body. To get only benefits from eating seafood and not cause harm, you should handle them correctly. It is undesirable to store fish products beyond the period recommended by SanPiN, since such products can pose a danger to human health even after heat treatment.

Fish dishes also have an extremely short shelf life, during which they maintain freshness. You cannot cook fish products or eat cooked fish dishes after the recommended storage period has expired. This can lead to poisoning, even in the absence of signs of spoilage. The less fish products are left in the refrigerator, the tastier they are.

Video: How to preserve your catch (large fish) in the heat and bring it home [salapinru]

How to preserve your catch (large fish) in the heat and bring it home [salapinru]

Watch this video on YouTube

Video: How to properly store fish

Watch this video on YouTube

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How to choose fresh

To avoid mistakes, buy only live fish. Even a child can recognize her - she moves her tail, fins, and jaws. If the fish is dead (not alive), refuse to purchase.

Of course, there are a number of signs that determine how long ago the fish was caught. But the current environmental situation is so bad that even a laboratory is sometimes unable to determine its freshness.

If the fish shows no signs of vital activity, then pay attention to:

Appearance. The surface must be clean. The scales are held tightly, intact and without damage. The consistency is dense (don’t be afraid to press the carcass with your finger).
Gills. The rich red color and lack of odor indicate freshness. Some species have pink gills and a specific smell - this is also the norm. If the reservoir is polluted, then this indicator can be ignored.
Smell. Specific fishy, without any extraneous notes. A faint smell of sludge is acceptable. If it is sour or unpleasant, the fish is not fresh.