Oily fish such as salmon and mackerel keep best in the refrigerator in an airtight container set on ice, and should generally be eaten within a day or two. Because they are high in fat, they spoil faster than lean white fish. Why does oily fish spoil faster? The omega-3 fatty acids in fish oxidize much faster on contact with air than saturated fats do. This oxidation makes the flavor rancid and the smell sharper. In lean white fish such as sea bass and whiting, this process is slower, so even under the same refrigerator conditions, oily fish may show signs of spoilage several days sooner. Oily fish also have thinner, more porous skin, which lets bacteria reach the flesh more easily. For this reason, oily fish stored without being cleaned and gutted can develop an odor much faster than cleaned fish. How should oily fish be stored in the refrigerator? After the fish has been gutted, dry it with paper towels without rinsing it, then place it in an airtight container or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Rinsing raw fish can splash bacteria onto the sink and counter. Put the container in the coldest part of the refrigerator, usually the bottom shelf, and, if possible, spread a layer of ice underneath it. The ice keeps the temperature around the fish a few °C below the refrigerator's overall temperature. Under these conditions, oily fish should be cooked within one day, or two days at most; this period can usually be as long as three days for white fish. If the fish will not be cooked on the day it is purchased, putting it directly in the freezer is much safer than keeping it in the refrigerator. What are the signs of spoilage? Fresh fish has a mild sea smell; a sharp, ammonia-like, or sour smell is an early sign of spoilage. Fish with dull, sunken eyes and gills that have turned brown has also lost its freshness. If pressing the flesh with a finger leaves an indentation that does not spring back, the texture may have lost the elasticity characteristic of fresh fish. Fish in this condition should not be considered safe even if cooked and should be discarded. Is freezing safer? If oily fish is to be frozen, put it in an airtight bag and remove as much air as possible. Air left in the freezer can cause ice crystals (freezer burn) to form on the fish's surface. Properly frozen oily fish retains most of its quality if eaten within two or three months. This period is shorter than for white fish because fat continues to oxidize slowly even in the freezer. What should you look for when buying fish? Checking whether the fish is displayed on ice is the simplest indicator of its freshness at the time of purchase; fish left at room temperature on a counter starts to spoil much faster than fish kept on ice. If the trip home is long, carrying the fish in a separate insulated cooler bag or with ice packs helps prevent its quality from declining during transport. For packaged oily fish, checking whether the package is swollen, in addition to checking the use-by date, is a useful extra check.
Comments (1)
Somonu buzdolabında üç gün bekletip pişirdim, tarifte bir iki gün deniyor ama farkında değildim; koku hafif keskinleşmişti, pişirince de tadı biraz acımsı çıktı, bir dahakine iki günü aşmayacağım.