How to conserve perishable foods in the fridge
Fish and shellfish are very perishable foods, that is, they are altered quickly and easily unless proper conservation treatments are used. One of the most useful is that of refrigeration. This system allows maintaining the commercial quality of the food for a variable period of time. The time they are kept in perfect condition depends on the species, the method of capture and handling, in which temperatures are always applied between 32 °F and 39°F (0 and 4 ° C) from the moment of capture, and this must be maintained at all times: stages of distribution until its arrival to the consumer. On ships and points of sale, refrigeration is carried out with plenty of ice. This ice, which is made with seawater, allows reaching temperatures somewhat lower than 32 (0ºC) without the fish becoming frozen, which favors more extended conservation. However, in fishing boats, refrigeration in tanks with seawater at 29°F(-1.5ºC) can alter some species and cause them to lose color and scale, as well as increasing their salinity.
Period of conservation
Small fish and high-fat content spoil before the larger ones and less fat. Sardines and anchovies are kept only between 3 and 6 days, while hake and cod maintain their optimal conditions for two or three weeks. Other large species such as swordfish arrive after 24 days.
Advice at home
After the purchase, it is advisable to clean, wash and eviscerate the fish before introducing it in the refrigerator. It is also advisable to remove the scales and the head. The fish should be kept in the coldest part, at a temperature between 36°F and 39°F (2 and 4ºC). It is advisable to introduce the fish in a covered container or cover it with food paper. It is about avoiding alterations of the fish by contact with oxygen in the air (rancidity, loss of water), of not transmitting the smell throughout the refrigerator and preventing the bacterial contamination to other foods. To consume it in optimal conditions, it should not be kept in the refrigerator for more than 2 days.
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