Salmon keeps for about 1-2 days in the fridge, and 2-3 months in the freezer. The table below splits those times by opened and unopened โ and a date still in range never overrides what your nose tells you.
Fish spoils faster than meat. Salmon meant for raw eating should be eaten the day you buy it, and even for cooking, one to two days is the limit. Resting the fillet on ice in the fridge buys you roughly an extra day.
Storage times
| Unopened | Opened | |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | Not recommended | Within 1 hour |
| Fridge | 1-2 days | Same day |
| Freezer | 2-3 months | 1 month |
Throw it out if you see this
- An ammonia smell
- Mushy flesh that keeps a dent when pressed
- Grey colour and a slimy film
Storage tips
- Wrap in paper towel, seal, and set the container on ice
- For the freezer, wrap tightly then bag it
- Never refreeze after thawing
Thawing
Sell-by and use-by are not the same date
A sell-by date tells the shop how long it may display the product; a use-by date tells you how long it stays safe to eat. They are not interchangeable, and a use-by date is usually later than the sell-by date printed on the same product.
Every printed date assumes the package is unopened and stored at the labelled temperature. Once opened, follow the "opened" column below instead of the printed date โ and if the smell, colour or texture is off, throw it out regardless of what the date says.