We all know this:
Fish is a protein-rich food that contains many minerals, vitamins, and healthy fats. People enjoy cooking fish with different methods, such as frying, smoking, steaming, and more.

Among them, smoking is a popular technique, and smoked fish has been becoming a favourite food of many people over the world.
Smoked fish is typically done in two main different ways: hot smoking and cold smoking. Before and during the process of smoking fish, it requires the same good hygiene practices for maximum quality.

Wait!
Do you know this?
Smoked fish can be only used in a limited time. To know how long it lasts, let’s read the following information.

How Long Does Smoked Fish Last?

As I mentioned above, there are two main ways of smoking fish:
The first one is hot smoking, in which fish is smoked in temperatures as high as 82°C. The other way is cold smoking that is usually performed below 30°C to prevent undesirable changes in food.

Both cold-smoked  and hot-smoked require careful control of humidity, temperature, and processing time. Besides, good sanitation and proper storage after processing are also essential.

Normally, when being refrigerated, an unopened smoked fish package can last about two to three weeks from the moment it was sealed and from 3 to 6 months if it’s kept in a freezer. Once you open the package, you should use it in 3 days to fully enjoy its taste.

I have an advice for you.

To maximize the shelf life of unopened smoked fish packages in the freezer as well as prevent freezer burn, you should overwrap the original food with airtight heavy-duty aluminum foil, heavy freezer-weight plastic bags, and plastic wrap or put the package inside a freezer bag.

When the package is opened, it should be covered and stored in the coldest part of your fridge immediately after use.

After all, nothing lasts forever.
Although you properly preserve the smoked fish in the refrigerator to keep them fresh for a long time, you should enjoy them as soon as possible to enjoy the perfect favor and quality.

How to Tell If Smoked Has Gone Bad?

Sometimes, due to some reasons, you forget your smoked fish packages in the fridge. Then you will be worried about their quality and wonder if you can eat them or not.
The following things are what you should do to check whether smoked fish is bad:

Check the expiration date
Checking the expiry date printed on the packaging is the first thing you should do. Never ignore those dates because you can be prone to food poisoning or digestive trouble. Discarding the unopened package immediately if the time exceeds one week compared to the date on the label.

Observe carefully
Let’s put the fish under sunlight to check the color of the smoked fish. If it has green and white dots, it is no longer fresh. One more thing, smoked fish is dry, so don’t hesitate to throw it away when you feel your food sticky.

Sniff at smoked fish
Bad smell means that smoked fish is rotten. In this case, the best way is to throw it away. Bacteria in fish will be very dangerous, and it’s not worth risking your health.

Conclusion

I’ve just told you some information on how long smoked fish last and the signs to recognize a bad smoked fish in case you store it in the fridge for a long time.
I hope that this article will be useful to you. Feel free to tell us your opinions as well as contributions in the comment section.