How to Freeze Raw Salmon

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Stock your freezer with fresh salmon so you're never far from a fantastic seafood dinner. Salmon's a really easy fish to freeze and it keeps well for months! You can freeze whole salmon or cut it into steaks and fillets. As long as you defrost the salmon safely, you'll have fish that has great, firm texture, making it the perfect choice for a weeknight supper or elegant dinner.

Part 1
Part 1 of 3:

Wrapping the Salmon

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Freeze Raw Salmon
    Make a messy job easier in the long-run by cleaning fresh, whole salmon when you get it home. This way, you just need to thaw your frozen salmon and you can get right to cooking! If you can't get it in the freezer after you bring it home, plan to freeze it within 2 days of buying the fish and keep it in the fridge until then. [1]
    • Buying whole salmon from the market? Most fishmongers are happy to clean and gut the entire fish for you.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Freeze Raw Salmon
    Think about how you'll eventually cook your salmon and cut it into portions. For example, if you want to roast salmon on a tray with veggies, you might cut 2 large fillets. If you're going to serve a salmon dinner to a crowd, you could cut them into steaks instead. [2]
    • If you feel like de-boning the salmon, you can do it now or wait until you defrost the fish. It's totally up to you!
    • Cut your salmon into small quartets of filets if you plan on using it for sushi. Be sure to make clean cuts with a sashimi knife.
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  3. Sometimes, fresh salmon that you get from a seafood counter is already in an airtight package. This is even more likely if you bought lox or smoked salmon. Don't take the fish out of it since the original packaging is really effective at trapping smells and protecting the salmon from freezer burn. [3]
    • It's a good idea to check the expiration date on the package of salmon. Don't freeze salmon that's past its expiration date.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Freeze Raw Salmon
    It only takes a few minutes to get your salmon ready for the freezer. Tear off a piece of plastic wrap and lay it flat on your counter. Set your cleaned salmon on 1 end of it and fold the plastic wrap over the fish. Keep folding the salmon over so it's completely wrapped in plastic. Try to press as much of the air out as you can as you wrap the fish. [4]
    • If you're storing salmon in its original packaging, you can skip this step or wrap it in aluminum foil for extra protection against freezer burn.
    • Want to package several pieces of salmon? No problem! Just wrap each piece individually instead of stacking them and wrapping them in 1 piece of plastic wrap. This makes it a lot easier to defrost them.
  5. If you've got a lot of raw salmon that you're storing or you'll be freezing it for a long time, it's probably a good idea to invest in a vacuum sealer. Put your plastic-wrapped salmon into a vacuum bag and insert the end into your machine. When you turn it on, the vacuum sealer sucks all of the air out of the bag. [5]
    • Treat the vacuum-packed salmon gently since you don't want to pop the bag.
  6. Watermark wikiHow to Freeze Raw Salmon
    Give your plastic-wrapped salmon an extra layer of protection in the freezer. Just tear off a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil and lay it flat. Then, set the wrapped salmon on 1 end of the foil and fold the fish over to completely cover the package in foil. [6]
    • The aluminum foil also stops pieces of plastic-wrapped salmon from sticking to each other.
    • If you used a vacuum sealer, you can skip this step.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 3:

Labeling and Storage

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Freeze Raw Salmon
    Stick the wrapped salmon or salmon portions into a big freezer bag. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag shut. Now comes a really important part—labeling the bag! It's super easy to forget what things are when they've been in your freezer for months, so use a permanent marker to write down as much useful info as you can. [7]
    • For example, write down 4 salmon steaks, 1 fillet, and the date. This lets you know at a glance what's in the bag without needing to open up and unwrap the fish.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Freeze Raw Salmon
    Not sure what the coldest area is? It's usually farthest back against the wall where it takes longer for warm air to reach. It might not seem like a big deal, but keeping your salmon as cold as possible means you can store it for longer. [8]
    • Now's a good time to check your freezer temperature. Set the freezer to 0 °F (−18 °C) for the best storage conditions.
  3. Although you can freeze raw salmon indefinitely if your freezer is at 0 °F (−18 °C), the salmon might become soft or mushy the longer it's stored. For the best texture, try to defrost and cook the salmon within 3 months of sticking it in the freezer. [9]
    • If you add new packages of raw salmon to your freezer, follow the first in, first out rule and use the older salmon before defrosting the salmon you just put in.
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Part 3
Part 3 of 3:

Defrosting

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Freeze Raw Salmon
    There's no need to unwrap the salmon. Just transfer the frozen package of fish to your fridge and that's it! [10]
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Freeze Raw Salmon
    Sometimes, it's tricky to plan your next day's meal. If you decide that you'd like to cook salmon for dinner, but it's still frozen, there's still time! Take the bag out of the fridge and put it into a large bowl. Fill the bowl with cold water and put something heavy on the bag so the salmon is submerged. Then, check the salmon after 30 minutes to see if it's thawed. [11]
    • If the salmon is still solid, replace the water with cold water and check it again in 30 minutes.
  3. Forgot to take the salmon out of the freezer? Don't worry. Unwrap the salmon and put it in a microwave-safe dish. Use the defrost setting to thaw the salmon until you can bend it, but there's still ice on the fish. This should take around 5 minutes for 1 pound (450 g) of salmon. Then, take the salmon out of the microwave and cook it immediately. [12]
    • The defrost setting automatically reduces the power level on your microwave so you don't have to choose a heat setting.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Freeze Raw Salmon
    While the salmon is defrosting, decide how you'll cook it so you can start heating the fish as soon as it's fully defrosted. It doesn't matter what cooking method you choose—roasting, grilling, searing—as long as you work quickly. You don't want harmful bacteria to grow because you accidentally left your salmon out. [13]
    • The exception to this is if you defrosted your salmon overnight in the fridge. Since you didn't warm the salmon to thaw it, you can keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days before cooking it.
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      Tips

      • Freezing salmon is a great way to take advantage of sales. Buy a few extra fillets and toss them in the freezer for later!
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      • It's totally up to you whether or not you leave the skin on the salmon. Some people find it easier to remove the skin after cooking the salmon, so the choice is yours.
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      • Really short on time? No problem! You can cook frozen salmon without thawing it first. Just roast it in the oven, toss it on the grill, or sear it in a skillet.
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      Warnings

      • Don't rinse the salmon before you freeze it! The USDA actually discourages rinsing raw animal products since it increases the risk of cross-contamination in your kitchen.
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      • Wash your hands thoroughly after you wrap the raw salmon and spend a few minutes wiping down your work surfaces with hot soapy water or an all-purpose cleaner. [14]
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      • Cook salmon until the thickest part of the fish reaches 145 °F (63 °C) with an instant-read meat thermometer. [15]
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      Things You'll Need

      • Plastic wrap
      • Heavy-duty aluminum foil
      • Heavy-duty freezer bag
      • Permanent marker
      • Vacuum sealer and bag, optional

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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/angling_for_that_fresh_salmon_preserve_it_quick_and_fast
      2. ↑ https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/angling_for_that_fresh_salmon_preserve_it_quick_and_fast
      3. ↑ https://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/18245
      4. ↑ https://youtu.be/3Nd8IjsAdm0?t=68
      5. ↑ https://youtu.be/uSghjhd2W4I?t=174
      6. ↑ https://youtu.be/3Nd8IjsAdm0?t=91
      7. ↑ https://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/18245
      8. ↑ https://medbroadcast.com/healthfeature/gethealthfeature/fish-nutrition-and-safety
      9. ↑ https://www.seafoodhealthfacts.org/seafood-safety/general-information-patients-and-consumers/seafood-handling-and-storage
      1. ↑ https://www.seafoodhealthfacts.org/seafood-safety/general-information-patients-and-consumers/seafood-handling-and-storage
      2. ↑ https://www.healthygallatin.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/FSHdefrost.pdf
      3. ↑ https://www.healthygallatin.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/FSHdefrost.pdf
      4. ↑ https://www.healthygallatin.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/FSHdefrost.pdf
      5. ↑ https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/selecting-and-serving-fresh-and-frozen-seafood-safely
      6. ↑ https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/selecting-and-serving-fresh-and-frozen-seafood-safely

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