When out at your local supermarket deciding on your latest Fishy purchase, there’s a number of considerations that are made prior to making a decision – these usually include the choice of species, sustainability, health benefits and the cost involved however there’s one consideration that perhaps does not come to the forefront of one’s mind – the shelf life.
Given the complexity of Fish & Seafood due to the variety of different species, this can vary beyond just a simple consideration of freezing or refrigerating if you’re intent on getting the best out of your Fishy purchase – even the type of packaging can play a key role in this.
 Whilst we’re all familiar with the basic concept that Fish & Seafood deteriorates more rapidly at higher temperatures meaning we should refrigerate or freeze our purchase at the soonest opportunity, not everyone realises that the quality of certain species can sustain longer than others, for example – fatty fish such as Salmon, Tuna and Mackerel may last up to 3 months stored in your home freezer whilst in contrast, leaner Fish such as Cod, Haddock and Sole may last up to 6 months in the very same freezer! This is due to the oily variety of Fish containing Omega 3s which are prone to oxidation.
 Depending on the quality of your freezer and the packaging of your Fish, storage times can be extended much longer, for example – simply having your purchase vacuum packed will prevent unwanted air speeding up its deterioration. An alternative method to vacuum packing is freezing in water where a light ice glaze can similarly protect your purchase from rapid deterioration resulting in a reduced shelf life.
