How long does salmon stay good at the grocery store?

[crankin]

I saw that my local grocery store has had wild salmon lately (normally they just have farmed) and I want to plan to make some on Wednesday, July 3. However, I'm pretty sure if I call and ask them to reserve some for me to pick up on that date, they'll just set some aside today and it will sit for 4 days. I thought seafood was supposed to be used within a day of purchase... so I'm just afraid that it won't be as good by then. But then of course if I wait until the day of, there's no guarantee they'll still have any.

What would you recommend? Should I request some to be set aside or just wait until the day of and take my chances?

 

[Steve Kroll]

Salmon freezes extremely well. My suggestion is to buy it today and stick it in the freezer. Then thaw it in the fridge the night before you plan to cook it.

 

[roadfix]

Yes, freeze them. And they thaw pretty quickly.

 

[ShellyCooks]

As Ben Franklin said, "After three days, both fish and houseguests begin to smell!"

I agree with everyone else --- buy fresh fish and freeze it.

 

[Caslon]

Actually, I've discovered that salmon will go bad fairly quickly when frozen. It ages to a bad taste after about a month or so.

 

[Andy M.]

This is a big time of the year for salmon. Chances are they will have some on Wednesday. Otherwise, freeze it as the others have said.

 

[CharlieD]

Actually, I've discovered that salmon will go bad fairly quickly when frozen. It ages to a bad taste after about a month or so.

That is really strange. Nobody, but me eats fish in the house. I buy salmon filets from Sam's club; they come individually wrapped and frozen. One box of them sometimes could less me a year and they are the same, no significant change in taste. Unless package is no longer air tight.

 

[Addie]

If the sale runs for a week, then they should have fresh the day you buy it. Their vendor delivers it fresh each day. Or he should be. Call and ask when their deliveries come in.

 

[CraigC]

Are they selling filets, whole fish or both? If they offer whole, you can check the eyes and gills. For me, that is the only way to check for freshness. If there is an obvious odor stay away.

 

[salt and pepper]

I always ask what days they have fresh fish delivered, then buy on those days.

 

[roadfix]

Last night from a large Asian grocer I bought a small slab of sushi grade salmon to cut up and have as sashimi for dinner. These were packaged fresh, as in not frozen. I assume they were previously flash frozen at sea and thawed out at a later date (yesterday) for packaging.
In these instances where I intend to eat them raw, I don't think I would freeze and save them for another day. I would only consume them the day they were packed, as indicated on the package.