We’ve all been there – opening up our fridge, ready to reheat a salmon dish for dinner, only to wonder “did this salmon go bad?” You can get food poisoning from rotten food — and no one likes that. Sometimes it can be pretty obvious if a meal or food item has turned, but in other cases, such as that of cooked salmon it can be harder to tell.
So how do you tell if you’re cooked salmon is bad? If your salmon smells “fishy” or feels slimy, chances are your salmon is either on its way to being bad or has already spoiled.
Typically, cooked salmon has a shelf life of up to 3-4 days in the fridge. Smoked salmon can last a bit longer, at 4-5 days. That said, the best time to consume cooked salmon before it goes bad is no later than 2 days after it has been in the fridge.
Tips for checking to see if cooked salmon is bad:
1. Check the smell.
This is probably the easiest way to tell whether or not your cooked salmon has gone bad. Your cooked fish should have a mild smell — hopefully one that is appetizing! If your salmon has a bad odor – especially one that smells extra like fish – you should throw it away.
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2. Check the texture.
Depending on whether or not you’ve prepared your salmon in a sauce, it can sometimes be difficult to determine the texture of your cooked salmon.
The easiest way to tell whether or not your cooked salmon has a slimy texture is to use your finger and “dab” the salmon. If it feels sticky, and it looks like it has lost its flakiness, you shouldn’t eat it.
How to avoid cooked salmon going bad:
1. Avoid leaving your cooked salmon out.
When cooking salmon, you should try and avoid leaving it out at room temperature for longer than two hours. If your salmon is not refrigerated before then, bacteria will begin to grow.
2. Throw cooked salmon away after a few days.
While cooked salmon has a fridge shelf-life of 3-4 days, it’s better to be safe than sorry, and end up with food poisoning. You should throw out leftover salmon after 2-3 days in the fridge, regardless of whether or not it seems like it has gone bad.
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Related Questions:
How long does it take to get sick if I eat cooked salmon that has spoiled?
An onset of food poisoning can occur within minutes of eating spoiled cooked salmon. Most of the time, symptoms don’t appear until a few hours or even a day after your meal. Food poisoning or an upset stomach usually lasts for a few hours, and in the most severe cases, a few days.
Is it okay to eat undercooked salmon?
Yes! Raw salmon is commonly used in many types of dishes, such as sushi. Talking about sushi, ever wondered what does eel tastes like?. Raw or undercooked salmon is safe to eat, however, if you are preparing a cooked salmon dish and your salmon turns out undercooked, it may not have the taste you were looking for.
Keep in mind that raw salmon has a fridge shelf-life of 1-2 days – fewer days than cooked salmon!
