One of the primary concerns of seafood lovers is how best to handle and store their product. Whether you're picking up some fillets from the shops or catching fish yourself, handling seafood correctly is a key skill to have under your belt. 

And it's easier than you think! 
 

Choose Fresh, Australian Seafood 

Before you even consider how to store it, it's important to make sure you're choosing the freshest seafood possible. In general, choosing local product is the best first step: it hasn't travelled as far to get to you, and was probably caught more recently. 

It's also a great idea to talk to your fishmonger; they are a treasure-trove of knowledge on what is fresh and in season. 

Aside from that, here's what to look out for... 

When purchasing whole fish: 

• Bright and lustrous skin or scales. 

• Firm flesh that springs back when touched. 

• Bright pink-red gills. 

• Pleasant fresh sea smell. 

When purchasing fillets and cutlets: 

• Bright, lustrous and firm flesh. 

• Any dark muscle should be pink-red in colour. 

• Pleasant fresh sea smell. 

• No discolouration, gaping or bruising. 

When purchasing crustaceans and molluscs: 

• Brightly coloured, lustrous shells or flesh. 

• Firm, intact shells, heads, tentacles or flesh. 

• Shells closed or close when tapped or gently squeezed. 

• Pleasant fresh sea smell. 

• No discolouration, particularly at joints. 

Getting it Home 

One of the cardinal rules of seafood purchasing is that every hour your seafood is not on ice, one day is taken off the shelf-life.   

Once you've chosen your seafood, the best way to ensure that it stays as fresh as possible for the trip home is to pack it into an esky or chiller bag (these are available for purchase at most SFM retailers), and ask your fishmonger to pack some ice with your purchase.  

Even if you don't have a chiller bag, still make sure to ask for some ice! There is no shortage at Sydney Fish Market, and the staff will be happy to give you as much as you like. 

In the Fridge 

Most seafood will keep in the coldest part of your fridge for up to 3 days, when stored correctly.  

For fish, make sure they're scaled, cleaned, and gutted fish. Place them on a plate or in a lidded container, and cover first with a damp cloth, then with plastic wrap or the lid. Squid, cuttlefish and octopus can be stored the same way. 

Dead crustaceans (such as prawns) should be consumed as soon as possible after purchase. Pop them in the coldest part of your fridge, covered with plastic wrap on a plate or tray, or in a covered container. 

Live crustaceans (such as crabs) should also be consumed as soon as possible after purchase. Keep these specimens in a cool place with a damp cloth over the container, ensuring that the cloth remains damp. 

Make sure to eat live molluscs, like mussels, quickly too. Place them in a container, cover with a damp cloth and keep in the warmest part of the refrigerator, usually the crisper (optimum temp is 5°C), ensuring that the cloth remains damp. Before cooking, discard any shells that are open and don’t close when tapped or gently squeezed. 

In the Freezer 

There is nothing wrong with freezing seafood if you need to! Just make sure it is stored in an airtight freezer bag, with as little air as possible.     

Whole non-oily fish can be frozen for up to 6 months at -18°C or less.* 

Whole oily fish, and all fish fillets, steaks and cutlets can be frozen for up to 3 months at -18°C or less.* 

Meat from molluscs (such as squid and mussels) can be frozen for up to 3 months at -18°C or less.* Gut and clean squid, cuttlefish and octopus, or remove meat from mussel shells.  

Crustaceans can be frozen for up to 3 months at -18°C or less.* Place crustaceans (other than prawns) in an airtight freezer bag, extract as much air as possible, label and date. 

When it comes to prawns, place them unpeeled in a plastic container appropriate to the volume you've got. Cover them with water, seal and freeze. This forms a large ice block, which insulates the prawns. Do not add salt as it draws out the moisture. Label, date and freeze! 

*Note: many domestic freezers do not get as low as -18ºC, if in doubt check.