How do you know when fish has gone bad?

sophlowe45

thank you, really helpful.

Nada666

They start locking their bedroom door? Their clothes smell of tobacco smoke? Their mobile phones go straight to answering service?

Hopelessly_Hopeful

Sniff test is much more reliable than expiry or use by dates in my opinion!

HHx

Fire_Fox

I freeze counter fish on the day of purchase if I am not eating that day or the next, have to say I never purchase yellow sticker seafood and rarely yellow sticker fresh chicken.

Always use the sniff test, if there is any blood about I remove the packaging and rinse the fish first, then I know if the fish smells or the gunk. Most fish are not high risk to eat as long as you cook them properly, it's raw fish and certain shellfish that are risky.

madnotstupid

Teach yourself to recognise the smell of off fish and I promise you'll never wonder again.

Cut a small piece off your fresh fish. Put it into a container with a tight fitting lid, which you don't mind throwing away. Place it out in a warm place for 3-4 days. Take it outside. Take a deep breath, and open the lid. That smell - is fish gone off.

sonastin

What is it about "nearly off" that worries you? Nearly going to taste yucky? Nearly going to make you feel ill? Nearly time to throw it away?

Personally, I wouldn't be worried until it was actually off. To me, nearly = just in time.

j.e.j.

sophlowe45 wrote: »

How do you know if fish has gone bad? If its still before the use by date.

Is it normal if the fish smells a little?

This is one of the reasons I don't like buying fish, its simple to cook, 3 minutes in the microwave, but I am really struggling with how to know if it has gone bad or is still ok. I usually buy salmon, but have been trying to buy a few other varieties too.

Same here, food poisoning caused by gone-off seafood sounds far from pleasant _pale_

Supermarket fish counters honk to high heaven, and I try not to go near them! We've got an independent fishmonger nearby and there's no fishy smell about the place at all. There is a faint sea-like smell if you actually hold the fish up to your nose and smell it!

I grew up thinking fish is smelly, but really it shouldn't be!