How long do Scallops last in the fridge?
In this brief guide, we will answer the question, ‘How long do scallops last in the fridge?’. This gourmet seafood has surrounded inquisition regarding its shelf-life. Let us look at some reasons that impact, ‘How long do Scallops last in the fridge?’.
How long do Scallops last in the fridge?
If the scallops are fresh, they should last for 2 days in the fridge. Ideally, you should consume scallops on the day you purchase them. However, if you want to save them for later, the best option is to freeze them. Frozen scallops have a much greater shelf life and can last for several months.
Scallops are a delicacy because of their taste and texture. The Mollusks are known for their soft texture and mildly sweet flavor. The high nutritional content of scallops makes them a desirable seafood option.
Besides proteins, scallops are also a good source of magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium. Scallops are a good source of Vitamin B12 as well. Vitamin B12 makes red blood cells and ensures the well-being of the DNA that is the smallest of the genetic material in our body.
There is always a checklist when it comes to food safety which in turn determines the shelf-life. For meats such as the scallops, the standard starts right from the seawater. Assuming the scallops are from the cleanest possible water body and then handled under ideal condition, you can make them last for 6 days. Unfortunately for most of our seafood, this is not the case.
Fresh scallops are wrapped in paper and put in the refrigerator for no more than 3 days. To ensure the best taste and experience, they must be eaten within one day.
When you get scallops from the store and don’t intend to consume them within a day, it is best to freeze them. Seal them in plastic, and freeze them for up to three months.
Refrigeration and Freezing guidelines
When you take out the scallops from the freezer and thaw them in the fridge, they store for up to a day. Do not leave raw scallops out of the fridge, until you are ready to cook them.
Even if you exceed the sell-buy date, careful handling deems the date insignificant. Even if you exceed the best before date, but it has only been a day since you bought the scallops, you can still consume them.
Leave the scallops in their original packaging until you are ready to consume them. If you open them up before you need to, you are only exposing them to environmental contaminants.
Keep the raw scallops tightly wrapped and leave them in the fridge.
Scallops straight from the Water
In case you get your fresh scallops straight from the sea, they can last for more than three days. When you bring them home, put them immediately into the refrigerator with a damp cloth on the top.
Scallops hold seawater in their shell that can make them give off an overpowering smell. Shuck the scallops and rinse with cold water, to clean and get rid of the smell.
If you cannot shuck them immediately when you get them home, do so within three days. After they have been shucked, cover them in cling film or put them in an air-tight container.
If you leave them out of the fridge for longer than two hours, discard them promptly. Exposing seafood to temperatures between 40 F to 140 F encourages bacterial growth.
If you defrost after you have bought them from the market or thawed them at your home, refreezing is never an option.
You can halt the bacterial growth that takes place on your protein once again, but you cannot reverse the toxic secretions of the bacteria that have been thriving on the scallops.
Leave the scallops at room temperature for more than a couple of hours, better not to consume the scallops.
While scallops can be kept frozen for 3 to 6 months; thawed scallops come down to 1-2 day storage time in the refrigerator again. However, if the thawing took place in the microwave or cold water, use them immediately.
You can push the shelf-life of your raw scallops for more than two days, given that they were handled and stored adequately after harvesting. Also, you took the utmost care possible to ensure the longevity of your scallops.
Signs of Spoilage
To check for signs of spoilage, examine the scallops. Bad scallops will give an off-odor that is sour and fishy. On contrary to raw scallops, fresh ones do not have a fishy but a sweet smell.
However, if you bought frozen scallops from the store, they will not have any smell.
On touching a bad scallop, you will feel a slimy texture. The palatable appearance will also change to a dull color.
Sometimes scallops will come with brown discoloration that indicates a poor handling practice at the sea-side.
In this brief guide, we answered the question, ‘How long do scallops last in the fridge?’. This gourmet seafood has surrounded inquisition regarding its shelf-life. We considered some reasons that impact, ‘How long do Scallops last in the fridge?’.
Citations
https://www.ehow.com/how_6181413_recognize-bad-scallop.html
https://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/18279#:~:text=Cooked%20scallops%20will%20usually%20stay,an%20off%20smell%20or%20appearance.
https://www.chowhound.com/post/long-thawed-scallops-fridge-981453
