How to Store Seafood Properly

This article is re-posted from seafoodhealthfacts.org - a joint project by the Universities of Oregon State, Cornell, Delaware, Rhode Island, Florida, and California, and the Community Seafood Initiative.

All fish and shellfish are highly perishable, and the same basic storage and handling guidelines should be followed: Keep it cold, keep it clean, store it quickly, and prepare and cook it properly.

Keep Seafood Cold

How long your fresh seafood will last depends on the condition of the product when you purchased it (see selecting seafood) and on how well you take care of it. When storing fresh seafood, keep it in the coldest part of the refrigerator. Use a thermometer to make sure your home refrigerators is operating at 40°F or lower.

Fish will lose quality and deteriorate rapidly with higher storage temperature—so use ice when you can. Always purchase seafood last during your shopping trip, and bring a cooler to transport it home. If you have caught your own fish, do not let them sit on the deck until you come back to the dock. Bury them in ice immediately or use an ice slush with approximately two parts ice to one part water to keep your catch cold.

Store Seafood Properly

Finfish, such as rockfish, lingcod, and sablefish, should be stored in the refrigerator and used within one to two days after purchase. It’s a good idea to store it on ice in the refrigerator to keep it as cold as possible. If the fish won’t be used within two days, wrap it tightly in moisture-proof bags (so the fish won’t dry out) and store it in the freezer. Frozen fish keeps well for two to three months in the freezer.

Shellfish, such as mussels, clams and oysters that are purchased live in their shells, should be put in a shallow pan (no water), covered with moistened paper towels and refrigerated. Mussels and clams should be used within 2-3 days and oysters within 7-10 days. Shucked shellfish can be placed in a sealed container and frozen. Live lobsters and crabs should be cooked the day they are purchased.  Recommended storage times and shelf-life times can be found on the websites below.

Frozen seafood should be kept frozen, and it is a good idea to date packages of frozen seafood so you can use the older seafood first. For best quality remember the FIFO concept – First In, First Out. Frozen seafood must be thawed properly. It’s best to thaw frozen seafood in the refrigerator overnight. Other thawing methods include: immersing frozen seafood in cold water for a short time in a sealed plastic bag, or microwaving on a defrost setting until the fish is pliable but still icy. Be careful not to overheat the seafood in the microwave or you will start the cooking process.

Handle and Prepare Seafood Properly

All foods, including seafood, must be handled and prepared in a clean area to avoid cross-contamination. Always remember to keep your hands, preparation area and utensils clean. Never let raw seafood come in contact with already cooked or ready-to-eat foods (e.g. salads, fruit, smoked fish). Whether you are storing fresh fish or thawing frozen fish in your refrigerator, make sure that the juices from raw seafood do not drip onto food that has already been cooked or food that will not be cooked.

Marinades are great for seafood but should not be saved and used as a sauce unless the marinade has been cooked to a temperature of at least 165°F to eliminate microorganisms from the raw fish. Always marinate in the refrigerator in a glass or plastic container.

Never serve cooked seafood on a plate that held the raw product without proper cleaning. Store leftovers, properly wrapped, in the refrigerator within 2 hours. Bacteria will grow rapidly in the temperature “Danger Zone” of 40-140°F so keep hot food above 140°F and cold food below 40°F.

SOURCE: seafoodhealthfacts.org