Fish can last for several days, up to a week, depending on how fresh it was when you first bought it. Different types of fish last longer than others, but as a general rule, the fish itself should not be slimy or dry, but rather wet to the touch. If it’s a whole fish, the eyes should be clear, not foggy. And depending on the type of fish, there should be little to no ‘fishy’ smell around it. As a precaution, however, you should try and buy fish on the day you plan to eat it, or the day before at the earliest.
Fish should not be slimy, as this is a sign that it is start to go bad. Fish is cleaned thoroughly when it is caught, which leaves it with a wet feeling, but not slimy. At the same time it should not be dry. This dryness can actually be caused by a fridge that blows cold air onto the fish, therefore drying it out. This dryness doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad, but it’s going to taste less than ideal if you eat. Check to see if the fish looks like it’s leaking any liquids as well. Any of these signs are reasons to avoid eating the fish.
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Finally, many types of fish sold in the US do not have any fishy smell to them, or at least have a very light smell. Cod, for example, shouldn’t smell fishy at all, or at the least only very slightly smelly. Anything you can smell without getting your nose close to the fish is a sign that it’s not edible. This is a very good sign actually – bad smell means throw it out.
The best way to store fish is buried in chopped ice. This prevents air movement which dries the fish out, and is the way all good restaurants store their fish. On average, fish can last for up to a week after it is pulled from the water, so given the 2-3 days it takes to get to you, you have 4-5 days to eat it. This assumes it was kept at the proper temperature the entire time, of course.
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