How long is too long???

[Fredd]

I'm sure that I'm not the only one who has done this, but after filleting my fish I sometimes keep then in the frig. because I am going to be cooking them in the next day or two. And then they get pushed to the back of the shelf and lost for some additional time. How long should/can I keep the fish in the frig without killing my family when it comes time to prepare it???

[BobT]

I'm thinking that unless you have no sense of smell you should be able to tell if the fish is going rancid. There's very little blood or fat in the flesh so I would suspect it may keep for quite some time. I may be wrong though.

Bob

[prov1900]

Agree. Fishy smell doesn't mean it's gone bad. If you smell it and barf, it is time to throw it.

[giddyup99]

FDA says fish bought off the shelf should be cooked or frozen within 2 days...not sure how long the store is capable of displaying it before sale however.

My guess is that you are ok within a week or so as long as it doesn't stink and the meat is not mushy or discolored at all. I've let fish set in the fridge for up to 4 days with no problems.

[Jim Almquist]

If I have not cooked my fish in 4 days it is time to freeze it or cook that night but I agree that if it smells OK it more then likely is OK.

[Fredd]

I was thinking that four to five days might be the limit. I tried some five day old fillets on the parents yesterday and they raved about the taste. I noticed that the fillets really cleaned up nice and white because of being in the water for that long and appeared to have grown (taken on some water). I had swapped out the water in the bag on day three. Thanks for the input guys!!

[Sandmannd]

I would say four or five days and you are fine. Have had some a little older than that and still fine though.

[Juneau4]

If they get to bad just serve them as a substitute for LUTEFISK

[Sandmannd]

Or to the guests you don't really care for!!!!

[Grant Pearson]

or give them to me, and I'll give them to my inlaws!

[vern]

How about fish fillets frozen in a block of ice? In June I froze some fillets in a zip-lock bag filled with water. I planned on eating them within a month but didn't. Anyone freeze them this way more than 6 months? I normally eat my fish fresh within a couple days.

[wanger29]

I've ate fish close to a year old before froze in a gallon zip-lock & water. Not a thing wrong at all. However, I would not recommend holding that long. But in the ice has proven very successful for me. I wouldn't pack any other way. June, huh? Don't worry at all about them. You'll see.

[Jackpine Rob]

Going back about 30 years.....

Nearly killed myself with greed for fish. I'd worked my keister off to get those fish, and would not let them go to waste.

Couple of nice little trout. Too long waiting to be cooked. Cooked and ate.

Sicker than you can possibly imagine. At several points in that ordeal, I simply wished death would claim me. Couldn't eat lake trout for several years afterwards.