Somewhere...beyond the sea scallops?

January 30, 2009 10:56 AM

I bought some "fresh" (previously frozen) sea scallops from the grocer yesterday. They are currently in a small airtight container in the coldest part of my fridge. I don't want to re-freeze them, because they'll disintegrate upon re-thawing, but I don't want to eat them today or all of them tomorrow (I have five). How long can I expect these scallops to last in the fridge?
posted by thatbrunette to Food & Drink (8 answers total)

Best answer: I eat quite a bit of seafood, and it's not something I fool around with that much in terms of letting it linger in the fridge. Seafood food poisoning is some of the worst possible stuff ever. Trust me. Personally, I'd endeavor to use them up within 3-4 days tops. 1-2 days (if the seafood is unfrozen in the fridge) is closer to what I actually practice. Besides, it tastes much better fresh, and when you're paying for something expensive, you may as well get the bang for your buck.

If you're single and living somewhere where it's difficult to get fresh seafood, I would poke around to find a place that sells high quality frozen seafood. In many cases, the seafood is actually frozen almost immediately after it comes out of the water. Though a fishmonger is a great place to buy, I've also had very good experience buying from chain markets such as Costco. The cost (for the quality you get) is generally pretty reasonable. That way, you can defrost exactly the amount you need and there won't be any chance of spoilage.
posted by theantikitty at 11:14 AM on January 30, 2009 [1 favorite]

Scallops, especially, tomorrow is about as far as I'd consider going. But I'm in the midwest, so by the time seafood gets to me, the clock has already been ticking for a while.
posted by jferg at 11:58 AM on January 30, 2009

I'd put them in a ziplock back in a large bowl and cover with icewater in the bottom of the fridge. Maybe that buys you an extra day.
posted by wrnealis at 12:07 PM on January 30, 2009

Best answer: What everyone else said. Unless you have a really good fishmonger, when you buy scallops, buy them frozen - they thaw quickly. They should look bone-white if they were frozen fresh. Use the ones you have quickly. You could make a simple seafood chowder or something with the ones you are "saving" - once cooked, that would be good for a few days more.
posted by elendil71 at 12:19 PM on January 30, 2009

Response by poster: Thanks guys, looks like I'll be cooking them up post-haste! =)
posted by thatbrunette at 12:26 PM on January 30, 2009

In many cases, the seafood is actually frozen almost immediately after it comes out of the water.

I don't know about scallops particularly, but a lot of seafood is legally required to be frozen before being sold, because that kills a bunch of parasites that could otherwise cause problems.
posted by aubilenon at 12:58 PM on January 30, 2009

Aside from the issue of food poisoning, seafood just tastes terrible when it's not completely fresh (or fresh from frozen at least).
posted by girlgeeknz at 11:32 PM on January 30, 2009

The USDA says just 1-2 days.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 2:52 PM on January 31, 2009