How to store fish and shellfish, and tell when seafood has gone bad
Quick answer
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Fridge
Keeps for 1-2 days
Refrigerate raw fish at 40°F (4°C) or below and use it within 1 to 2 days of buying it.
Watch out Never leave seafood out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C).
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Freezer
Keeps for 6-8 months
Wrap lean fish such as cod tightly in plastic, foil, or moisture-proof paper and freeze it.
Watch out Fatty fish such as tuna or mackerel keeps its best quality only 2 to 3 months.
Raw fish lasts 1 to 2 days in the refrigerator, and cooked fish lasts 3 to 4 days. In the freezer, lean fish keeps its best quality 6 to 8 months and fatty fish 2 to 3 months. Don't eat seafood that smells sour, rancid, or fishy.
Buying fish this week?
On a Listonic list, every item gets the amount you need and a note on when to use it by.
- Quantity and unit on every item
- A note like “fridge, use within a week”
- One list shared with everyone at home
Raw fish lasts only 1 to 2 days in the refrigerator, so cook it soon or freeze it. Cooked fish keeps 3 to 4 days, and frozen fish stays safe at 0°F (-18°C), where the storage times are about quality.
This guide covers lean and fatty fish, crab, clams, mussels, oysters, surimi, and tuna in a can or pouch. Salmon and shrimp each have a guide of their own.
How long does fish last?
Raw fish lasts 1 to 2 days in the fridge and cooked fish lasts 3 to 4 days, according to the USDA FoodKeeper app. Fridge times for raw fish count from the day you buy it.
The freezer times are for best quality. Food kept constantly at 0°F (-18°C) stays safe, and only its quality suffers with long storage.
| Seafood | Fridge | Freezer |
|---|---|---|
| Lean fish (cod, flounder, haddock, halibut, sole) | 1 to 2 days | 6 to 8 months |
| Fatty fish (bluefish, catfish, mackerel, mullet, salmon, tuna) | 1 to 2 days | 2 to 3 months |
| Cooked fish | 3 to 4 days | 1 to 2 months |
| Fresh crab meat | 1 to 3 days | 2 to 4 months |
| Pasteurized crab meat, unopened | 10 to 12 months | 4 to 10 months |
| Pasteurized crab meat, opened | 3 to 5 days | Not listed |
| Crab legs (king, Dungeness, snow) | 2 to 4 days | 9 to 12 months |
| Live clams, mussels, crab, and oysters | 1 to 2 days | 2 to 3 months |
| Cooked shellfish | 3 to 4 days | 1 to 3 months |
| Surimi seafood | Until the package use-by date | 9 months |
| Tuna from a pouch, opened | 3 to 4 days | Not listed |
How long is fish good in the fridge?
Raw fish is good for 1 to 2 days in the fridge, and that holds for lean fish like cod and fatty fish like mackerel. The FDA’s advice on selecting and serving seafood says to refrigerate it at 40°F (4°C) or below if you’ll use it within 2 days of buying it.
If you won’t, wrap the fish tightly in plastic, foil, or moisture-proof paper and freeze it. Never leave seafood out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C).
How long does cooked fish last in the fridge?
Cooked fish lasts 3 to 4 days in the fridge, and so does cooked shellfish. For longer storage, freeze cooked fish and use it within 1 to 2 months for best quality.
How long is tuna good for in the fridge?
Raw tuna is good for 1 to 2 days in the fridge, because FoodKeeper counts it as a fatty fish. Tuna from a pouch lasts 3 to 4 days in the fridge after opening.
Unopened, a tuna pouch keeps 18 months in the pantry from the date you buy it. Canned tuna keeps 3 years in the pantry.
How long is sushi good for in the fridge?
USDA FoodKeeper has no storage time for sushi or ceviche, so there’s no official fridge time to give you. The times on this page cover raw and cooked fish, shellfish, surimi, and tuna.
How long does fish last in the freezer?
Lean fish keeps its best quality 6 to 8 months in the freezer, and fatty fish keeps it 2 to 3 months. Wrap fish tightly in plastic, foil, or moisture-proof paper before you freeze it.
Freezer burn doesn’t make fish unsafe. It shows up as grayish-brown leathery spots where air reached the surface, and you can cut those parts away before or after cooking.
Can you freeze crab meat?
Yes, fresh crab meat keeps 2 to 4 months in the freezer, and pasteurized crab meat keeps 4 to 10 months. Crab legs, such as king, Dungeness, or snow crab, keep 9 to 12 months.
Can you freeze oysters?
Yes, live oysters keep 2 to 3 months in the freezer from the date you buy them, and so do live clams, mussels, and crab. In the fridge, they last only 1 to 2 days.
Can you freeze imitation crab?
Yes, surimi seafood such as imitation crab keeps 9 months in the freezer from the date you buy it. In the fridge, it keeps until the use-by date on the package.
How to thaw fish safely
Thaw frozen fish in the refrigerator overnight. To thaw it faster, seal it in a plastic bag and put it in cold water.
You can also use the microwave’s defrost setting if you’ll cook the fish right away. Stop while the fish is still icy but pliable.
Can you refreeze fish?
Yes, fish thawed in the refrigerator can be refrozen without cooking, according to the USDA’s guide to safe defrosting. If you’d rather cook it, it stays good for another day or two after thawing.
How to tell if fish is bad
Spoiled raw fish can smell sour, rancid, fishy, or like ammonia, while fresh fish smells fresh and mild. The smell gets stronger after cooking. Don’t eat raw or cooked seafood that smells sour, rancid, or fishy, or cooked seafood with any ammonia smell.
Fresh fillets have firm flesh that springs back when you press it, with no discoloration, darkening, or drying around the edges. Color alone doesn’t show freshness, so check the smell and the flesh too.
Frequently asked questions
How long can fish sit out?
Fish can sit out of the refrigerator for no more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C). The FDA sets that limit for seafood.
What temperature should fish be cooked to?
Cook most seafood to 145°F (63°C). Without a thermometer, fish is done when a fork separates the flesh with little effort.
How long do crab legs last in the fridge?
Crab legs last 2 to 4 days in the fridge from the date you buy them. In the freezer, they keep 9 to 12 months.
How long is opened pasteurized crab meat good for?
Opened pasteurized crab meat is good for 3 to 5 days in the fridge. Unopened, it keeps 10 to 12 months in the fridge from the date you buy it.
How do you pick good frozen fish at the store?
Pick frozen fish that's hard and doesn't bend, in a package without frost or ice crystals. Frost and ice crystals can mean the fish was stored a long time or thawed and refrozen.
