A Whole New World (and How to Store Your Seafood)

A Whole New World (and How to Store Your Seafood)

by Jen Levin

We’re two weeks into offering our fish to the public, and the response has been terrific. We’re so grateful to everyone who has come out to purchase our product. The support is allowing us to continue to buy from the boats and keep our staff paid. Meanwhile, at-home cooks are experimenting with new recipes, learning that they love monkfish (as well as cod, pollock, haddock, hake, flounder, and scallops…okay, everyone already loved scallops), and bringing the healthiest protein to their tables. 


The positive effects on people’s lives are very real. And we’re stoked to be a part of it.


It’s a whole new world in so many ways. For many of our new customers, there is a big intimidation factor when it comes to seafood. The biggest question we get is: How (and how long) can we store this fish? So, below we offer some simple best practices.


For the Fridge

If you plan to cook and eat your fish within a few days*, follow these instructions: 


  • Maintain a low temperature. This is probably the most important factor. Keep your fish as cold as possible, without freezing it, ideally between 32° and 36°F. To do this, keep your fish in the fridge over ice, an ice slurry, or on ice packs, maintaining a barrier between the fish and the ice, such as a plastic sheet or a bowl. In short, keep those fillets cold and don’t let them touch ice or water! 
  • Maintain low humidity. It’s important to keep the fish from drying out while also preventing moisture from building up on the fish, which will ultimately lead to its deterioration. Once you get your fillets home, unwrap them from our packaging and pat them dry with a paper (or reusable/washable) towel. Then, either loosely cover them with plastic wrap or put them in a bag or container and remove as much of the air as possible. Your fridge is cooled by a fan that circulates air, which will dry your fish out if you leave it uncovered.  (Having said that, if you have a skin-on fillet and would like to cook a crispy skin, try leaving it uncovered, skin-side up, in the fridge for a bit before cooking. Moisture is the enemy of browning and crispy skin, so make sure to pat the fillet dry. This will allow it to crisp in the pan.)  

    • For the Freezer

    If you don’t plan to cook and eat your fish within a week, freeze your purchase for up to six months following this one simple instruction: 


  • Create an air-tight package. Tightly wrap your fish in plastic wrap and put it in a freezer bag. Or use a vacuum sealer to cover your fish. The key is to remove all the air from the package before placing it in your freezer for later. We also suggest dating the package. However, there is no magic timeline. If it looks and smells good when it thaws, it’s good.  

    • There it is. Intimidation-free fish storage. It might be a new world out there, but it’s good to know even the new things can be pretty simple. 


    *Our fish can often be stored in the fridge up to a week, longer than the typical recommendation of just a day or two. This is for two reasons: 1) Our harvesters use specialized handling to ensure quality, resulting in a longer shelf life; and 2) We buy directly from the boats and get it right to you, so the time out of water is far less than what you might typically find at a more traditional market.