If you’d like to delay the expiration of refrigerated fish, put it in the freezer. If the fish has a use-by date rather than a sell-by date, avoid keeping the fish past that date. “Use-by” indicates that fish will begin to spoil if it’s not eaten by the printed date.
If you know in advance that you’re not going to use the cooked fish before it expires, put it in the freezer to delay the expiration. If you’re planning to discard the fish’s original packaging once it’s cooked, and then refrigerate the fish, write down the sell-by date so you don’t forget it after you’ve thrown the packaging away. You can write the sell-by date on a sticky note that you then attach to the Tupperware the fish is stored in. Alternately, write the date on a notepad that you keep on the door of your fridge.
You can always freeze your salmon yourself, even if you bought it raw or have already cooked it. To freeze salmon, wrap the pieces of fish in a layer of plastic-wrap, or place them in an air-tight plastic bag. [5] X Research source
Discard fresh fish as soon as you notice the beginning of this slimy texture. Cooked fish will not develop a slimy coating, even after it’s started to go bad.
As fish continues to spoil, its pungent fish smell will grow stronger and stronger. It’s best to discard fish as soon as it starts to smell “off. ”
If you’ve already cooked your fish, it will not develop a milky color. This sign of expiration applies only to raw fish. If you have a whole fish, the eyeballs will look cloudy if it’s gone bad. [10] X Expert Source Ollie George CiglianoPrivate Chef & Food Educator Expert Interview. 30 August 2021.
Freezer-burned food is still technically edible, and it will not make you sick. However, fish will lose most of its flavor and take on a grainy texture as freezer burn sets in.
The white lines between flakes of salmon can indicate its firmness in addition to its freshness. Once the lines have faded, the meat is all but guaranteed to be mushy.
Most of the discolorations you’ll find on salmon will be dark. However, spoiled salmon can also have small white-ish patches.