How to know if salmon has gone bad?

[mama2annabelle]

I stocked my freezer with salmon recently and I think some of it may be bad or nearly there. I opened two packages today and they have a strong fishy odor. We've been purchasing from the same place for a while now and it has never smelled like this. I called the company and the rep said that if it was bad it would be a rancid disgusting odor that makes you gag. He said that some fish have a stronger smell than others depending on their fat stores, diet, etc. and that they get there fish from three different places so not all their fish will smell the same. I'm still unsure only because I've never gotten fish from them that smelled this strong. Does anyone here have any experience in this area? Am I just being overly paranoid? Please help...

[Snowy Owl]

Re: How to know if salmon has gone bad?

if it's in the freezer, you're probably safe. When fish goes bad, it goes BAD.
Cook some up and see if it still smells/ tastes bad. I wouldn't throw out all that nice fish!

[Marlena]

*

[Marlena]

There's a difference between fishy and rancid. Rancid will be a putrid, slightly sweet odor. It will not be an appetizing scent. If you think it smells rancid (whether a lot or a little), then don't eat it.

If it's been completely frozen, then, if it's rancid, it will have to have become rancid before freezing. It may become freezer burnt if not properly wrapped, but that's a different matter altogether, and has to do with flavor and consistency rather than safety (at least to the best of my knowledge).

Fishy is, well, fishy. Fishy is certainly not good - it means the fish isn't terribly fresh, and won't be as tasty as fresher fish - but it's not necessarily dangerous.

[mama2annabelle]

Thanks for your replies. It's definitely not rancid, just really fishy. I'm pretty new to this fish thing, so I'm really cluelessabout this stuff.

[Marlena]

You might want to change your supplier if it's really fishy (I know you said you've gone with them for a while, but still...). Even for salmon (to the best of my knowledge), it generally means the fish isn't very fresh.

[vein]

Just wanted to add that some varieties of salmon *are* a lot fishier smelling/tasting than others - but if there is a very noticable fish scent that hits you immediately when taking it out, it's probably on its way to becoming spoiled.

It may be worth asking what variety you got this time, and ask what variety you got last time. Depending on the seasons, they may change which they offer, thinking that no one will really notice the difference in varieties.

With this batch, however, just make sure you cook it all of the way (which you should anyway, unless you know it's specifically sashimi quality). It may taste a little stronger, but you *know* when you eat it if it's gone bad - you'd likely not be able to choke it down.