How Long Does Smoked Fish Last?

How Long Does Smoked Fish Last

How long does smoked fish last? If you’re planning to keep it at room temperature, opened smoked fish will stay fresh for around 2 days otherwise, it can last up to three weeks (unopened and refrigerated)!

Before you get familiar with storing smoked salmon, let’s first see how it’s made and why it’s even so popular.

How Long Does Smoked Fish Last?

I’ve given you the basic time that a smoked fish can last without going bad. However, before I dive into the details, let’s see why someone would smoke fish in the first place.

In the old times, or at least before refrigeration was a thing, people used to smoke fish as a way to preserve it. However, as refrigerators and freezers became popular, smoking fish was done more for the unique taste and flavor you’d get from the smoking process.

Today, you’ll probably find cold-smoked salmon just as easily as any kind of fresh fish out there.

Since we have that part out of the way, it’s time to tackle that burning question of – how long does smoked fish last?

Does Smoked Fish Go Bad?

You’ve probably had fresh uncooked salmon or cod go bad a couple of times, right? Fresh fish going bad is not that uncommon and happens to the best of us.

However, what some people fail to realize is that smoked fish can also go bad. That’s right, just because you’ve smoked salmon isn’t opened doesn’t mean it can’t spoil.

Therefore, keep an eye on that expiration date and read up on all the ways to keep your smoked fish fresh for as long as possible below!

How Long Does Smoked Fish Last pin

What Is The Best Way To Store Smoked Fish?

Although I’d always advise you to eat smoked fish rather than store it, I know that’s not what you asked. To help you out a bit, let’s take a look at your storage options.

On the one hand, there’s the pantry – cold, dry, and good for storing smoked fish for up to 21 days. Of course, right next to it, you have the fridge – an almost complete guarantee of freshness for up to three weeks. Last and maybe least, since it does take some of the taste away, is the freezer, which is good for storing fish for up to six months.

Now that you have the basics about storing down, it’s up to you to decide on the storing method. Once you’ve decided, head down to see the right way to store fish in the party, fridge, or freezer!

How Long Does Smoked Fish Last in The Wild?

If you’re not planning on using 21st-century technology for some reason, this may be a fair question to ask. However, since I don’t believe the majority of you are going to be leaving your smoked cod out in the wilderness, I’ll keep it short.

If properly prepared, smoked fish can last about a week at room temperature. Nevertheless, I’d still recommend seeing if it’s still good before actually eating it.

How Long Does Smoked Fish Last in The Fridge?

Before I dive into the deep end with this one, let’s get one thing out of the way – refrigerating smoked fish is perfectly alright. As long as it’s properly stored for the right amount of time, there’s no reason to worry.

There are a few universal rules that apply for storing just about any type of fish. The first thing to get right is the temperature – it should be below or at 38 degrees Fahrenheit. The second is the freshness of the fish. If the fish is giving off a sour smell even before refrigeration, just throw it out – refrigerating it won’t do it any good, trust me.

How Long Does Smoked Fish Last in Refrigerator?

With the basics of refrigerating smoked fish covered, you’re probably wondering just how storing smoked salmon, for example, works.

The first thing to know is the typical shelf life of smoked salmon. In most cases, unopened smoked salmon will last up to three weeks in the fridge. The best indicator is the expiration date on the packaging.

However, stay on the safe side – check to see if the refrigerated salmon is still fresh before cooking. If it’s spoiled, it will both smell sour and have a dull color to it.

How Long Does Smoked Fish Last in Fridge?

If you’ve read the article carefully up till now, this question should be an easy one to answer. Just don’t forget – cutting corners won’t leave your smoked fish any fresher. Therefore, make sure it’s properly stored in the fridge to get its shelf life up to those 3 weeks we talked about earlier.

How Long Does Smoked Fish Last in The Freezer?

Can you freeze smoked salmon? Yup.

Should you be freezing smoked salmon? If you’d like.

I’m hesitant to say yes, as freezing smoked fish does affect its taste to a certain degree. Thus, although your frozen smoked salmon will taste good, it will surely lose a part of its freshness in the freezer.

Nevertheless, I do understand that the freezer is the only option sometimes. Therefore, if you have to, it’s better it be properly stored than ruin your freezer. Smoked salmon, and most other kinds of fish, last up to 3 to 6 months in the freezer – just don’t forget that it’s in there since no one would advise you to eat expired smoked salmon.

How Long Does Smoked Fish Last Vacuum-Sealed?

Regardless of its type, all vacuumed-sealed smoked fish tends to have the same expiration date. Thus, all smoked fish products purchased at your local grocery store will last up to 2 or 3 weeks in the refrigerator. If you’d like to prolong their shelf life, you may just consider freezing them – before the expiration date on the packaging, that is.

Remember – once fish has gone bad, there’s no point in trying to save it!

How Long Does Smoked Fish Last After Opening?

So far, I’ve covered the life span of unopened smoked fish and one that has been vacuumed-sealed. However, the logical next question is – what happens when you open it? I mean, can smoked salmon or cod even last any time at all after opening?

The answer is – yes. Even though it’s open, smoked fish still has a relatively decent shelf life. Once you open it, make sure to tightly wrap it in either plastic or aluminum wrap and store it in the fridge.

If you’ve followed all the necessary steps, your fish should stay fresh for about a week more!

How Long Does Smoked Fish Last Unrefrigerated?

As you may have noticed, smoked fish tends to have a longer shelf life than fresh salmon or any other kind of fresh fish, for that matter. In general, you’ll probably hear that the shelf life of smoked fish is around 21 days.

Although this is statement is not entirely untrue, it does require a bit of context. For one, it refers to smoked fish that hasn’t been opened yet. Therefore, don’t leave an opened package of smoked cod in the panty – you’re smell buds will thank me later. Another thing to look out for is moisture and direct sunlight. When storing smoked salmon or cod, make sure to do it in a dark and dry place.

How Long Does Smoked Fish Last Without Refrigeration?

Right now, you have the most basic period down – unopened smoked fish is good for 21 days without refrigeration.

However, this does not mean that smoked fish won’t go bad in the meantime. Now, before your head goes spinning, this kind of stuff just tends to happen sometimes. There’s nobody to blame, except maybe the fish, but that’s a lost battle right from the start.

Thus, before placing the smoked salmon on the tray, make sure to check its freshness. First of all, inspect to see if there’s a significant change of color or slime present on the fish. If not, the smell test is up next. If it has a weird and slightly unpleasant smell, it’s time for it to go!

How Long Smoke Fish Preserve?

If you’re a DIY person, you’d probably be up for cold-smoking fish all on your own. Although it may come across as daunting at first, there’s not much to it, especially with the cold smoke method. All you’ll need is to smoke fish for between 1 and 30 days at a temperature of around 86 degrees F.

Do keep in mind that this smoking method doesn’t do much for the flavor profile – it’s more about keeping the fish fresh and preventing it from going rotten.

Summary

Now know how long smoked fish lasts. In the open, it will last 2 days and 21 days if properly stored and refrigerated.

You can always freeze it, but I think I’ve made my stance on that pretty clear already!

Share this post, it will help me a lot!

Leave a Reply