Seafood Shelf Life
Fresh fish and raw shellfish are 1–2 day foods, best bought the day you plan to cook them and stored on ice in the coldest part of the fridge. Live clams, mussels and oysters are the exception, keeping several days if they can breathe. In the freezer, lean fish outlasts fatty fish by months.
19 foods · times shown are for the most common state of each food; tap a food for every state, storage tips and spoilage signs.
Fatty fish
| Food | Fridge | Freezer | Pantry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catfish Raw |
1–2 days | 2–3 months | Not safe |
| Salmon Raw |
1–2 days | 2–3 months | Not safe |
| Trout Raw |
1–2 days | 2–3 months | Not safe |
| Tuna Steak Raw |
1–2 days | 2–3 months | Not safe |
Lean fish
| Food | Fridge | Freezer | Pantry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cod Raw |
1–2 days | 6–8 months | Not safe |
| Halibut Raw |
1–2 days | 6–8 months | Not safe |
| Mahi-Mahi Raw |
1–2 days | 6–8 months | Not safe |
| Tilapia Raw |
1–2 days | 6–8 months | Not safe |
Prepared seafood
| Food | Fridge | Freezer | Pantry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imitation Crab Opened |
3 days | 6 months | Not safe |
| Sushi Prepared, raw fish |
1 day | Not recommended | Not safe |
Shellfish
| Food | Fridge | Freezer | Pantry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clams Live |
5–10 days | 3–4 months | Not safe |
| Crab Cooked |
3–4 days | 2–3 months | Not safe |
| Lobster Live |
1 day | Not recommended | Not safe |
| Mussels Live |
5–10 days | 3–4 months | Not safe |
| Oysters Live |
5–10 days | 3–4 months | Not safe |
| Scallops Raw |
1–2 days | 3–6 months | Not safe |
| Shrimp Raw |
1–2 days | 3–6 months | Not safe |
| Squid (Calamari) Raw |
1–2 days | 3–6 months | Not safe |
Smoked & cured fish
| Food | Fridge | Freezer | Pantry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoked Salmon Opened |
5–7 days | 2 months | Not safe |
Not safe = perishable: no more than 2 hours at room temperature. Not recommended = possible, but quality suffers. Freezer times are best-quality windows at 0°F (−18°C).