How to Properly Store Fresh Seafood for Maximum Freshness

Seafood is a delicacy, and to get the best out of it, storing it properly is crucial.

As a seafood professional, ensuring the quality and freshness of our products from the sea or farm to the customer’s table is paramount. Proper storage, handling, and transportation techniques are key to maintaining seafood’s integrity and reducing the risk of spoilage.

Whether you’re buying fish fresh from the market or receiving a delivery, understanding how seafood is transported, stored, and handled will ensure you enjoy the freshest fish with maximum flavour and nutritional benefits. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to store seafood and what you need to know about keeping it fresh for longer.

How Seafood Is Typically Transported: From Sea/Farm to Table

The journey of seafood from the sea or farm to your warehouse or store can be long, but proper transport protocols ensure that quality is maintained at every step.

Chilled vs. Frozen Transport: Seafood is typically transported in one of two ways: chilled or frozen. Chilled fish is often placed on ice immediately after being harvested, while frozen fish is flash-frozen to retain maximum freshness. Whether chilled or frozen, the critical factor is maintaining a stable temperature during transport, ideally between 32°F (0°C) and -4°F (-20°C), depending on the product type.
Packaging for Transport: Packaging should be designed to protect the seafood from physical damage while maintaining freshness. Vacuum-sealed bags or moisture-resistant packaging are common methods used in transport to prevent air exposure and reduce contamination risks.
Refrigerated Transport: If your seafood products are being transported chilled, ensure that they are in refrigerated trucks equipped with temperature monitoring systems to maintain the proper temperature during transit. This helps preserve the quality and safety of the products.

Handling Thawed Fish and Displaying Seafood at Retail

Once seafood reaches the retailer, you may notice some fish displayed for sale in refrigerated sections. However, it’s important to be cautious when purchasing thawed fish. Here’s why:

Thawing Process: When frozen fish is thawed, retailers usually place it on display with ice or refrigerated shelving to maintain a low temperature. But it’s essential to note that thawed fish should not be refrozen. This can result in a loss of texture, flavour, and quality. If displaying thawed seafood in-store, ensure it is placed on ice beds or in refrigerated display units to maintain the ideal storage temperature. Avoid thawing fish at room temperature, as this could encourage bacterial growth.
Look for the “Use By” Date: Always check for any labels of expiry dates on seafood. If you are purchasing thawed fish, make sure you use it within a short window of time, ideally within 1-2 days after thawing. Fish is perishable and can spoil quickly if not handled properly.
Signs of Freshness: When buying thawed fish, ensure that it looks moist, not slimy, with firm, shiny flesh. The smell should be fresh—if it smells “fishy” or sour, it’s a sign that the fish has started to spoil.

Storing Fresh Fish: How Long Can You Keep It in the Fridge?

Knowing how long it will stay fresh is key to ensuring your safety and enjoyment. Here’s a quick breakdown of how to store different types of seafood:

Chilled Fish:

Storage Time: Fresh fish should be consumed within 1-2 days of purchase if stored in the fridge. For more delicate species, such as halibut, a shorter window of 1 day is recommended, while denser fish like salmon can be stored for up to 2 days.
Storage Tip: Place fish on a plate or shallow dish, cover it with plastic wrap, and store it on the lowest shelf of the fridge (ideally at 32°F or 0°C). This helps maintain its freshness.

Frozen Fish:

Storage Time: Frozen fish can last anywhere from 6 months to 1 year, depending on the type of fish and how well it was frozen.
Storage Tip: Keep frozen fish in the coldest part of your freezer, tightly wrapped to avoid freezer burn. When ready to use, thaw it in the fridge overnight (not at room temperature) for best texture and safety.

Live Shellfish:

Storage Time: Live shellfish (like oysters, clams, mussels) should be cooked as soon as possible. If you need to store them, keep them in a breathable container in the fridge for no longer than 1-2 days.
Storage Tip: Never store shellfish in a sealed plastic bag; they need to breathe. For frozen shellfish, they can typically be kept for about a year. Check the use by date for specific advice.

Smoked or Canned Fish:

Storage Time: Smoked or canned fish, such as salmon or sardines, can last in the fridge for up to 1 week after opening. Unopened, they can last for months on the shelf.
Storage Tip: Always keep the packaging tightly sealed and refrigerate to avoid contamination.

For many seafood retailers and wholesalers, freezing is a critical part of inventory management. Most of the the premium imported seafoods in Hong Kong are frozen, in order to lock in the highest level of freshness for consumers. Transporting wild caught fish from the deep sea fishing vessels involves quick freezing on vessel to properly extend their shelf life and ensure that quality is maintained for the customer. Besides freezing at source, transporting with an unbroken cold chain is no easy feat. As a reputable supplier, Ifish ensures that the procured seafood products are

Frozen Quickly at Source: We ensure that seafood is frozen as quickly as possible to prevent the formation of large ice crystals, which can damage cell structure and affect texture. Our suppliers use blast freezing methods most of the time for optimal results.
Vacuum Seal: To protect the fish from freezer burn and air exposure, vacuum sealing is essential. This technique ensures the fish remains in optimal condition by removing oxygen from the packaging. Our consumer pack sized products are all vacuum sealed.
Proper Labelling: As with thawed seafood, all frozen products should be clearly labelled with the date of freezing and use by date to ensure stock is rotated efficiently.
Cold Chain Management: We also keep a close eye on our cold chain to deliver good quality seafood to your door as you would expect. For chilled seafood, ensure that temperatures are consistently maintained between 4-18ºC. For frozen fish, temperatures remain at or below -18°C.

How to Extend Freshness: Freezing Fish at Home

If you’re not able to consume your fish immediately, freezing it at home is a great way to extend its shelf life. Here’s how to do it properly:

Wrap It Tight: Use heavy-duty freezer bags or plastic wrap to tightly wrap the fish, removing as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn.
Portion It: Consider portioning the fish before freezing so you can defrost only the amount you need.
Label: Write the date you froze the fish so you can track how long it’s been in the freezer.

Final Thoughts: Storing Seafood Safely

When it comes to storing seafood, the key to maintaining freshness is temperature control and timeliness. Always ensure that seafood is stored at the correct temperature—whether chilled or frozen—and make sure to consume it as quickly as possible. If you buy fresh fish, plan to use it within 1-2 days, and if you’re freezing fish, do so promptly and store it properly.

By following these guidelines, you can enjoy the freshest, most flavourful seafood, whether you’re cooking it the same day or saving it for later. Remember, the quality of your seafood depends not just on where it comes from, but how it’s handled along the way!

With careful attention to temperature control, packaging, and inventory management, we do our best to minimize waste, maintain high-quality offerings, and keep customers coming back for more. If you want to ensure you’re getting the freshest, sustainably sourced seafood, check out our collection at Ifish.hk today!