Fresh Fish vs. Frozen Fish

You may have heard that fresh fish is always better than frozen, but this isn’t always true. The fish you see in the refrigerator case may have been there for a while and may not be in top shape. The truth is that most “fresh” fish we see in the market came in as frozen and then was defrosted for sale.

Since they are highly perishable, most fish are flash-frozen shortly after being caught, sometimes even on the boat it was caught on, which insures its “freshness.” Frozen fish has better shelf stability. If it’s properly vacuum-sealed, it should last for months in the freezer. When purchasing frozen fish, make sure that there are no ice particles in the plastic package. If there are, it probably has thawed and was then refrozen. Don’t buy it! Also, make sure the package is fully intact with no tears. Finally, make sure your fishmonger posts the sources for their fish.