Fish and shellfish: fridge and freezer times from two Extension charts
Updated
Fresh fish has one of the shortest fridge times in either chart, and the two charts agree on it exactly. The freezer times split: lean fish like cod keeps longer frozen than oily fish like salmon, and the two charts put the limits in different places.
Pacific Northwest Extension prints cooked fish twice, and the two lines give different freezer times. We show both of its figures next to Clemson’s instead of choosing one.
Shellfish is where the charts part most in the refrigerator. Pacific Northwest Extension puts shucked clams, oysters and scallops on a single line, while Clemson gives each its own line and allows shucked oysters and scallops longer than clams.
| Food | Refrigerator | Freezer |
|---|---|---|
| Lean fish fillets (cod, flounder, haddock, perch) | 1–2 days | 6–10 months Clemson HGIC4–6 months PNW 612 |
| Salmon, raw | 1–2 days | 2–3 months Clemson HGIC2 months PNW 612 |
| Shucked clams | 1–2 days | 3–4 months |
| Shucked oysters | 5–7 days Clemson HGIC1–2 days PNW 612 | 3–4 months |
| Scallops | 2–3 days Clemson HGIC1–2 days PNW 612 | 3 months Clemson HGIC3–4 months PNW 612 |
| Cooked fish | 3–4 days | 1–2 months Clemson HGIC + PNW 6121–3 months PNW 612 |
✓ 2 sources checked per row A single figure means both charts print the same time. Red cells show each chart’s figure where they differ; we do not average them.
- Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home & Garden Information Center, Food Storage: Refrigerator & Freezer (HGIC 3522) (revised March 31, 2020) — verified 2026-09-27
- Pacific Northwest Extension (University of Idaho, Oregon State University, Washington State University), Storing Food for Safety and Quality (PNW 612) (revised March 2023), Table 2, p. 15; Table 4, p. 21 — verified 2026-09-27
Good to know
- Clemson groups salmon with other oily fish (mackerel, bluefish, tuna); Pacific Northwest Extension gives salmon its own line. The salmon row uses those two lines.
- Pacific Northwest Extension says to keep shucked shellfish in the coldest part of the refrigerator, and that a fridge thermometer is the way to find out where that is.
- The same chart says not to use shucked clams, oysters or scallops if their liquid is frothy.
Both charts give these times for best quality and call them guidelines, not hard limits. How the rows are matched: our method. Spotted a row that does not match its chart? Tell us and we will recheck the original.