Earthy tasting frozen salmon

Earthy tasting frozen salmon - Glass bottle of calvados with halved pear and rosemary sprigs placed on white background

I got out some wild sockeye salmon that had been in the freezer for quite a while (several months at least, not more than a year). It was vacuum-packed, no freezer burn, sealed properly, etc. I cooked it very well but while it smells and looks okay it tastes earthy and a bit undercooked (even though it's flaky and opaque). The texture is fine. I stopped eating it but wondering what this is about.

I cut it in half while it was still raw and washed the knife and then used it for salad ingredients. If the knife wasn't washed well enough could the raw salmon cause me a problem? Thanks!

Edit: Does anyone know what the taste might mean? Or if it might mean it's not really edible? I did eat a bit and am fine but I guess we have taste buds for a reason so I should probably avoid it. I am curious as to what might have gone wrong.

food-safetysalmonfrozen


Best Answer

Not likely. Wild salmon is pretty low on the list of foods that can cause harm because of cross-contamination, particularly salmon that has been frozen for an extended period of time. Undercooked fish is considered risky more because of potential parasites than bacteria. Months in the freezer is going to pretty much eliminate any risk of consuming a live parasite. Plus, the toxins that can be found in fish are not particularly common in salmon. If the fish didn't spend too long in the "danger zone" either before or after freezing, you've got very little to worry about.



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Does salmon taste earthy?

It is normal to leave salmon for several days without feeding them before they are slaughtered. This empties their digestive system and makes them better suited to cope with stress. But in order to eliminate the earthy taste at RAS facilities, the salmon need to fast for longer \u2013 often up to two weeks.

How can you tell if frozen salmon is bad?

Visual Signs
  • Dulled, gray tint.
  • Sunken, whitish, or filmy eyes instead of white eyes with dark purple pupil.
  • Sticky, white, or stringy-looking gills.
  • Mold, discoloration, slimy residue, or odd growths.
  • Uncommon dark spots.


    • Does frozen salmon taste different?

    Fish is sometimes thawed for processing before being offered to consumers, but as long this is done efficiently \u2014 and if the fish is flash-frozen again \u2014 its taste, texture, and quality is just as good as fresh-off-the-boat.

    Why does my salmon have a weird taste?

    Bitter-tasting salmon is likely to be caused by fat in the fish that is turning rancid. In other words, the fish is no longer fresh. It may not cause harm to eat it, but it won't be as enjoyable.


    Wild Salmon Isn't The Right Color and Tastes Bad



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