Salmon is a popular superfood because it is loaded with healthy omega-3 fatty acids, which help build and maintain your body. Plus, salmon is so darn delicious.
Salmon’s mild flavor works with bold flavors such as BBQ salmon or milk recipes such as poached salmon.
In addition to this, salmon’s flesh has a texture that can stand up to most cooking methods.
Salmon is perishable, so how long can salmon sit out.
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Time and Temperature
Time and temperature are super important to food.
Bacteria, as well as other hazardous pathogens, multiply rapidly at temperatures between 41°F and 135°F.
At lower temperatures, these harmful microorganisms multiply slower. In contrast, bacteria can barely survive at high temperatures.
In short, as long as you can delay their reproduction, your salmon will stay safer longer.
How Long Can Salmon Sit Out
When you are cooking salmon for several people, it can be challenging to estimate how much meat per person.
If you’re anything like me, you’ve ended up with leftover salmon more often than not.
Whether it is cooked, smoked, or raw salmon, you need to know how long it can sit out.
How Long Can Cooked Salmon Sit Out
Salmon’s freshness depends on how it is prepared and stored. For example, cooked salmon lasts in the fridge for 3-4 days.
However, you may think because it’s cooked, there’s no way it can become tainted with bacteria. Well, you’re wrong.
Cooked salmon can only be left last at room temperature for 2 hours.
If you are reheating salmon, it would be better to take out what you need and place it back into the refrigerator immediately.
If your cooked salmon spends more than 2 hours outside of the fridge, do not eat it.
How Long Can Smoked Salmon Sit Out
The standard is not to leave any form of salmon out for more than 2 hours. However, smoked salmon is a bit different.
Smoked salmon will remain safe to consume as long as it is kept in cook condition.
For example, salmon kept at a cooler temperature in a kitchen below 40 degrees Fahrenheit will last longer.
In addition to this, how the salmon was smoked and whether it is wild or farm-grown salmon can also affect how long it can sit out.
How Long Can Raw Salmon Sit Out
Raw salmon will last 1-2 days in the fridge once you have purchased it from the store.
Salmon goes through a long supply chain, so it takes time to reach the retailer.
If you are purchasing frozen salmon, it could have taken 20-30 days to reach the retailer.
Once you purchase your salmon, take it home immediately and store it in the fridge until you are ready to cook it.
If you are freezing salmon, make sure you wrap them correctly with plastic wrap so they can last up to 3 months.
In contrast, you can also use a vacuum sealer for packaging the salmon, so it lasts as long as possible.
Raw salmon can only sit out for two hours. After two hours, the salmon will become unsafe to consume.
How Long Can Salmon Sit Out To Defrost
When it comes to defrosting salmon, the refrigerator is the best place to do so.
I know that it goes against what many of us were taught, but it is easier and safer to thaw salmon in the fridge overnight.
You can also defrost salmon in water or the microwave. However, if you are using the microwave., you must be careful as it can easily overcook the salmon.
The microwave can start to cook some parts of the salmon while others remain ice cold.
If you want to thaw salmon at room temperature, it will enter the temperature danger zone after 2 hours.
Freezing salmon will not neutralize bacteria or other harmful microorganisms.
The minute the ice starts melting on the salmon, the bacteria come alive and start reproducing.
After 2 hours, so much bacteria will reproduce the raw salmon would be dangerous to consume.
How Long Can Salmon Sit Out in Water
As mentioned above, you can defrost salmon in cold water. Do not use hot or warm water to defrost fish.
Hot or warm water will increase the risk of food poisoning by unevenly thawing the fish.
Depending on how much salmon you are defrosting in cold water, it should take 30 minutes to 1 hour to defrost.
However, make sure you change the water every 30 minutes.
Nevertheless, salmon should not be allowed to thaw for more than 2 hours in water.
How To Tell if Salmon Is Bad
Although we are talking about how long salmon sits out, it’s important to discuss how to tell if salmon is bad.
Sometimes cooking salmon is not enough. It can spoil if you let it sit out uncovered for too long.
While the salmon may look appetizing and delicious, it could be covered in bacteria.
Bacteria can lead to food-borne illness, and no one enjoys experiencing vomiting and diarrhea.
The smell is the easiest way to tell if salmon is spoiled is the smell. If it smells the salmon smells rotten, the salmon is rotten.
The salmon has spoiled if there is any discoloration, such as grey patches. If the salmon tastes off, throw it in the trash immediately.
Where there are bacteria, there is slime. Therefore, if your salmon has a slimy texture, get rid of it right away.
Ultimately, there is no way to prevent spoilage. But you can cook and store your salmon properly so it can last longer.
Final Thoughts
Salmon is one of those foods we cannot live without.
Not only do we get essential nutrients from it, such as omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and vitamins, but salmon is irresistibly delicious.
Remember, do not leave your salmon sitting out for more than 2 hours.
Do not deviate from the two-hour rule. It doesn’t matter if it is smoked, raw, or cooked salmon.
You might also be interested in the following:
- How Long Can Cooked Beef Sit Out
- How Long Can Cooked Chicken Sit Out
- How Long Can Cooked Steak Sit Out
- How Long Can Cooked Pork Sit Out
- How Long Can Cooked Bacon Sit Out
- How Long Can Cooked Sausage Sit Out
- How Long Can Cooked Ground Beef Sit Out
I have been smoking and grilling meat from an early age and enjoy sharing my knowledge and expertise through the hundreds of articles I have written about BBQ. I hope to make everyone’s BBQ journey that little bit easier.