It’s a typical work week day and you thought about preparing something special for lunch or dinner. You’ve gone to the supermarket, purchased the right ingredients to cook a delicious salmon-based meal.
It’s only after you’ve started eating that you realize that you’re going to have leftovers. Too many to toss away without feeling guilty about it so you just stand there with your cooked salmon wondering if storing it in the fridge is the right idea or if you should just give it away. How long is salmon good for anyway?
Fish isn’t exactly known for lasting a long time, particularly once it’s cooked so why should salmon be any different? Well, it isn’t.
Then how long does cooked salmon last in the fridge?
- Read more: What does salmon taste like?
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How Long Does Salmon Last?
There’s no specific number of days that salmon is good for and will last in your fridge, as this depends on a number of factors that can’t be easily accounted for. However, what you need to understand is that the state of the salmon you’re storing has a lot of impact on the time it will last unspoiled.
For reference, you can use the next guidelines:
- Fresh salmon will be safe to consume up to 2 days after its “best by“ date. Frozen fresh salmon will keep for up to 9 months.
- Smoked salmon will be safe to consume up to 3 weeks after the purchase date. Frozen smoked salmon will keep for up to 9 months.
- Canned salmon will be safe to consume up to a year.
How Long Does Salmon Last?
| Pantry | Fridge | Freezer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Past Printed Date | Past Printed Date | Past Printed Date | |
| Fresh Salmon lasts for | -- | 1-2 Days | 6-9 Months |
| Smoked Salmon lasts for | 1-2 Weeks* | 5-7 Days | 6-9 Months |
| Canned Salmon lasts for | 6-8 Months | 6-8 Months | 9-12 Months** |
| Cooked Salmon lasts for | -- | 5-6 Days | 6-9 Months |
| Frozen Salmon lasts for | -- | 4-5 Days | 6-9 Months |
How Long Does Cooked Salmon Last In The Fridge?
There’s no clean and cut answer for cooked salmon because there are too many factors to consider. However, most people suggest eating salmon which was cooked in the oven between 2-4 days after cooking it.
In fact, some people prefer to err in the side of caution and suggest eating refrigerated cooked salmon within 48 hours of storage.
Regardless of what you choose here are some things you need to consider:
- The freshness of the salmon
Simply put, the freshest the salmon was before cooking it the longer it will last in the fridge.
If you cooked and stored your salmon the very same day it came out of the water then you probably won’t have any problem eating it 4, maybe even 5 days after preparation.
However, if it was already somewhat stinky before you cooked it it’s better not to try to store it at all.
This is why it’s not recommendable to store leftover salmon, as you can’t really know for sure just how fresh the salmon was before it was cooked and served.
- The way it was stored
Ideally, salmon should be stored once it’s cool and within 2 hours after cooking it. This minimizes the number of bacteria it is exposed to and reduces the possibilities of bacteria growing while it’s in the fridge.
Salmon should also be stored in an airtight container to minimize exposure to bacteria and it should be left undisturbed until it’s time to use it. Moving it from one side of the fridge to the other, or worse, constantly taking it out of it will expose your salmon to sudden temperature changes which will spoil it faster.
How To Make Cooked Salmon Last Longer?
There’s not a lot you can do other than freeze it.
Frozen cooked salmon can last up to 4 months in your freezer without spoiling, as long as you take certain precautions with it:
- Always use fresh salmon when cooking.
- Cool the salmon before freezing it and freeze it within 2 hours of cooking it.
- Wrap the salmon in aluminum foil to minimize the risk of freezer burn.
- Use airtight containers or freezer bag.
- Thaw only when you’re absolutely sure you’re going to eat it.
- Never thaw frozen salmon –be it cooked of fresh– only to freeze it again.
- Thaw in the fridge first, then use the microwave or a pan on stove to heat up your salmon.
How To Freeze Salmon?
Making entire meals and freezing them for easy consumption later is one of the best ways to save time and money.
If you’re doing this, you can always cook and freeze your salmon without sauces and other condiments, as these tend to change flavor once frozen.
This doesn’t mean you’ll eat plain salmon but rather than you can always throw in the extra flavor once you’ve thawed and re-heated your salmon; sure, it’ll take slightly longer than if you had frozen the salmon with all the ingredients but it will taste better this way.
- Related Video: Quick Cured Salmon - How to Cure Salmon in 3 Minutes
Conclusion
Follow these tips and you’ll be able to enjoy refrigerated (or frozen) cooked salmon in a safe way. If you want to know more about salmon, then check out this book.
Did you like the article? Do you know another way of making cooked salmon last longer in the fridge?
Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to like and share if you found this article useful.
Thank you for reading! You may also enjoy: What to do with Canned Salmon.
View Comments (3)
I suggest another way to take certain precautions with salmon. When your leftover salmon has milky or slimy substance with it then it is no longer edible and must be thrown away
How do you know these things? Is there actually evidence or research for the claims you make here?
The evidence is in the hospital records, food poisoning category.