Can we (safely?) use salmon after storing it (in deep freeze?) for two years or more?

I'm from Poland (in case there is no such thing in other countries) and a few days ago I bought a quark cheese mixed with salmon and some herbs, produced by some German milk factory for one of local big malls network.

When I looked at factory-printed "best before" information, I was shocked. Though actual "best before" date was fine (still a few days left), there was a clearly printed notice that fishing period for salmon fish used for preparation of this quark was in... June-August, 2012.

If this isn't a printer mistake (and there should be a June-August 2014), then what? Can we really safely store (deep freeze?) fish for two or more years? Is it still usable for food preparation processes? And -- finally -- what is the reason for doing so? Wouldn't it be easier and better just to use... a fresh fish?

Best Answer

Yes, if it was still OK when it went into the freezer, and has been frozen the whole time, it is still safe. That's true of all foods - if kept frozen, food will remain safe indefinitely. Quality of taste, appearance and texture are likely to have taken hits in that period of time, however.

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Quick Answer about "Can we (safely?) use salmon after storing it (in deep freeze?) for two years or more?"

You can store raw salmon in the freezer for three months before the quality starts to go down. Cooked salmon can be stored in the freezer for six months before it starts losing its quality.

Can you eat frozen salmon after 2 years?

Frozen salmon can last about 9-12 months in the freezer. You could safely keep your salmon in the freezer longer than that, but you will notice a decline in quality after the 12-month mark.

Can you eat frozen fish from 2 years ago?

Any frozen fish or shellfish will be safe indefinitely; however, the flavor and texture will lessen after lengthy storage. For best quality, freeze (0 \xb0F / -17.8 \xb0C or less) cooked fish for up to 3 months. Frozen raw fish is best used within 3 to 8 months; shellfish, 3 to 12 months.

How long is freezer salmon good for?

Fresh salmon: Place unused fresh salmon in a vacuum sealed bag or freezer sealed bag. Place current date on the fresh salmon and store in freezer for up to 3 months.

Can you eat expired salmon if it was frozen?

Properly stored, frozen salmon will maintain best quality for about 9 months in the freezer, although it will usually remain safe to eat after that.

How to Store Fish in Freezer (Up to 2 years)

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