How to Store and Handle Fresh Seafood

Chefs understand that serving only premium seafood is key to their reputations as well as customer satisfaction; but this doesn’t start at the fish market or restaurant door – how it is handled and stored can have a dramatic effect on its taste, texture and safety.

Seafood is highly perishable, and its shelf life varies depending on its species and storage temperature zones from catch to table. In these times, bacteria can quickly multiply and lead to spoilage or even illness; controlling temperature effectively is therefore key in prolonging shelf life and quality of seafood products.

When purchasing whole fish from a market, look for those that feel cold to the touch and exude a pleasant ocean scent. Their eyes should be clear and skin firm. Avoid fish that has dull or cloudy eyes or smell fishy; these could be signs of spoilage. When purchasing fillets already cut up into fillets from stores such as Walmart or Costco already cut into fillets already have sell by or use by dates that should be respected; canned and pouched seafood products typically taste best when eaten within one year of purchase if kept properly stored.

Fish and shellfish lose quality within 24 to 36 hours, so if there is any remaining, store it in the freezer immediately for best results. It should remain safe up to six months but it is best used sooner.

To properly store seafood, it is crucial that it is kept separate from other food and utensils in order to prevent contamination between raw and cooked seafood, or vice versa. Furthermore, using different cutting boards and utensils when handling both types of seafood would also be ideal.

While frozen seafood can be stored in your refrigerator, for optimal results it should be placed in a tray in order to avoid juices or melting ice from leaking onto other food items. Furthermore, label all containers of seafood to keep track of expiration dates.

When it comes to storing live seafood, ensuring its container is tightly sealed is of utmost importance to prevent leakage of water into its body. A piece of stale bread or damp paper towels are great ways of accomplishing this feat.

Storing seafood in the coldest part of your refrigerator and away from other food is the ideal way to maintain its quality and preserve its freshness. When possible, its original packaging should also be kept. Furthermore, both raw and cooked seafood should be stored separately to avoid cross contamination of surfaces with potentially dangerous bacteria. Likewise, cleaning all utensils or cutting boards that come into contact with raw and cooked seafood before reuse is also highly recommended as this ensures no dangerous bacteria build-up on these surfaces during reuse.