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How to Know if Salmon Has Gone Off

Max. D Gray
By Max. D Gray. Updated: February 13, 2017
How to Know if Salmon Has Gone Off

Salmon tops the list as a favorite among oily fish as it is a delicious and nutritious option for different types of diet and nutritional needs. Full of necessary health benefits, salmon is an excellent source of omega 3 fatty acids and essential oils. However, to get the best from salmon and prevent food poisoning it is extremely important to consume it fresh.

Are you wondering whether that cut of fish is still in good condition? At oneHOWTO we'll explain how to know if salmon has gone off or expired in a few simple steps. Read on!

You may also be interested in: How To Know If Chicken Has Gone Off
Steps to follow:
1

One of the quickest ways to know whether salmon has gone off is to assess its appearance. A piece of fresh salmon should have a deep pink or orange color, and under no circumstance should it be pale or dull; if this is the case, its freshness is compromised and it should not be eaten. If you are sure it is still fresh, learn how to keep salmon fresh for longer.

How to Know if Salmon Has Gone Off - Step 1
2

Another characteristic of salmon that has gone off is the presence of dark or white spots on the flesh. The salmon's color must not only be intense but also uniform. When there are stained pieces along the fillet, it is best to not eat it.

3

The white lines typically present in salmon help maintain the firmness of the fillet when this is fresh. But as the days pass and the food starts to spoil, these lines will lose their properties and gradually separate. If you notice that the salmon fillet is not firm and the meat appears to separate as if breaking when being handled, the food is no longer fit for consumption.

How to Know if Salmon Has Gone Off - Step 3
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Furthermore, we can not forget one of the most obvious signs that indicate that salmon has gone off: smell. It must never be intense, unpleasant or foul. Fresh salmon only has a slight smell of fish. If the piece of salmon that you want to cook smells very strong or has a slight odor of ammonia, it is best to get rid of it and avoid possible food poisoning.

How to Know if Salmon Has Gone Off - Step 4
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In cases where you have purchased a complete salmon that still has the head, you should know that the eyes are a good identifier of its freshness. They should be bright, with a suitably dark pupil, be slightly bulging and not sunken into the eye socket and above all be transparent, without any stains. If the salmon's eyes do not meet these conditions, it is likely that the salmon is not fresh.

How to Know if Salmon Has Gone Off - Step 5
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Once you have ensured that your salmon hasn't gone off you can proceed to prepare it. A good trick to preserve salmon when you know you will not use it in the next few days is to freeze it or cure it. Remember that fresh raw salmon can be stored in the fridge for only two days, and cooked salmon won't go off for five to six days.

Here at oneHOWTO we can give you some delicious ideas for you to cook fresh salmon. Discover how to cook fresh salmon or the recipe for preparing cured salmon. Bon appetite!

7

At OneHowTo we give you some more advice to know if food has gone off:

If you want to read similar articles to How to Know if Salmon Has Gone Off, we recommend you visit our Food & drink category.

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1 comment
Damien
Note Point. 1 is not technically correct The actual color of salmon flesh varies from almost white to light orange, depending on their levels of the carotenoid astaxanthin due to how rich a diet of krill and shrimp the fish feeds on; salmon raised on fish farms are given artificial coloring in their food. In Farmed Salmon colorants canthaxanthin or astaxanthin are added to the feed to create that appealing 'salmon' color. Pale fish have not had enough time in the harvest cycle to take up the colour, It happens especially after spawning season.
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