It’s a great day shopping at your supermarket and now you’re in the frozen aisle with a sale on fish products especially 2 for 1 on the shrimps. Close towards its best before date, you start to wonder “how long does shrimp last in the fridge?”.
It is a very common question, “How long does shrimp last in the fridge?” Therefore, we have decided to finally address it so that you may never have to ask someone, “How long does shrimp last in the fridge?” Shrimps, like all seafood, need to be handled with proper care as they are very prone to bacteria.
It is important to inquire about the longevity of the food you store in your Refrigerator as it concerns your health. In the case of Shrimp, we need to consider lots of factors before determining how long does shrimp last in the fridge. Such factors include Shrimp’s size, its origin, and its species.
In addition, you need to know that even if you store your shrimp in your refrigerator on time, still the most contributing factor to how long the shrimp last in the fridge would be how fresh the shrimp was at the time of purchase.
Along with the freshness of shrimp, it also depends on whether the shrimp is raw, boiled, or cooked. So let’s dive into ‘How long does shrimp last in the fridge?’.
How Long Does Cooked Shrimp Last In The Fridge?
Before we get into how long does shrimp last in the fridge, let’s look at how long does cooked shrimp last in the fridge?
Simply, the shrimp you cooked at home or ordered from Red Lobster lasts about three to four days in the fridge. However, you need to also take into consideration the time gap between the shrimp getting served into the plate out of the kitchen to the time at which it went into the fridge.
If cooked shrimp has been out in the air for more than 4 hours, then we suggest that there is no more need to use the fridge, just dump it in the trash! We advise you not to let your cooked shrimps open for more than three hours.
If you don’t take care of these small things, then you and your family may end up with food poisoning which is something you surely don’t want to happen.
However, if you are storing cooked shrimps in the freezer, then they can easily last for about six to nine months. Hopefully, the question “How long does cooked shrimp last in the fridge?” has been answered. Now, if one of your friends asks you, “How long does cooked shrimp last in the fridge?” you can surely answer them.
Now let’s look at the case of raw shrimp and how long does shrimp last in the fridge.
Other Factors
How Long Does Raw Shrimp Last In The Fridge?
Raw shrimp can last in the fridge for almost one to two days without the risk of bacteria contamination as long as the safety standards are maintained. However, there is a significant risk of bacterial contamination if this shrimp is not cooked and stored properly.
You should store raw shrimp at 40°F or below. It is easier for bacteria to grow at a faster pace between the temperature of 40°F and 140°F; therefore, it is always recommended to store your raw shrimp at a lower temperature.
Hopefully, the question “How long does raw shrimp last in the fridge?” has been answered, and you should also know that the quality of shrimp also affects how long does raw shrimp last in the fridge.
Let’s make a case for boiled shrimps!
How Long Does Boiled Shrimp Last In The Fridge?
Once you boil shrimp, immediately storing it in a refrigerator can prolong its life by 4 days! It can even taste better once you reheat it if you’ve added garlic or onion. Over time, these two vegetables can add a lot of rustic flavors but you might find that it smells a bit fishy.
However, you need to make sure that the boiled seafood is stored within two hours of cooking. Otherwise, it may get contaminated by bacteria as the bacterial growth doubles about every 20 minutes, so the process will only get faster if boiled seafood is kept in the air.
Hopefully, now you know how long does boiled shrimp last in the fridge. When trying to consider how long does boiled shrimp last in the fridge, you should know that you have to consider many contributing factors.
These were some of the shrimp forms which may have had different answers to the question “How long does shrimp last in the fridge?”
Now, let’s have a look at freezing for Shrimp.
For the case of Raw Shrimp, you can rely on your freezer for about 3 to 6 months. You should wrap the raw shrimp using freezer paper, heavy-duty aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or freezer paper.
You need to make sure that after thawing the raw shrimp, you can cook it within one hour. If not, the bacteria growth can spike very quickly as many bacteria become active after thawing especially when you are unfreezing them directly using a microwave oven. If you thaw the shrimps by simply letting them out in the open, then you will have a time of three to four hours to cook them.
Can You Freeze Cooked Shrimp?
The simple answer is yes, you can!
In the case of cooked shrimp, you can expect up to 4 months before these shrimps do not remain safe for eating. Again, you need to decide when to heat and eat them according to how the cooked shrimps are thawed, whether using a microwave oven or by just letting them open in the air. The answer to “Can you freeze cooked shrimp?” is simple, but still, people neglect the reheating process and end up with food poisoning.
So, next time around, if someone inquires, “Can you freeze cooked shrimp?” then simply tell them, “Yes, up to 4 months,” but do add the importance of the reheating and thawing process along with the need for proper wrapping before freezing the cooked shrimps.
Shrimps are surely tasty seafood, and therefore, you don’t want them to waste, so always make sure that you put those shrimps, cooked or raw, into the refrigerator on time and put them in an airtight container before placing them in the fridge or freezer.
Now, let’s look into an unfortunate scenario: your shrimps have gone bad! What do you do?
The question “How to tell if shrimp is bad?” comes right after How long does shrimp last in the fridge?
How To Tell If Shrimp Is Bad?
You need to know how to tell if shrimp is bad because this is the knowledge that can save you from food poisoning.
There are multiple things you can look for in the shrimp to tell whether shrimp has gone bad or not. Such factors to look at include shrimp’s appearance, smell, and texture. We will be looking at these factors one by one.
Appearance
Fresh raw shrimp is covered with a pattern of red and pink on the surface. The appearance of a fresh raw shrimp is identified with a color ranging from white to light grey along with some bluish tints, and overall, the appearance is light, and it also has a transparent look. When a shrimp goes bad, it develops dark spots, and the color becomes dull. Dull color and dark spots can be clear indicators of shrimps gone bad. When you get a moldy appearance, just toss it out straight away.
Smell
When shrimps start to rot or simply go bad, they start to release ammonia due to the bacteria. Therefore, getting an ammonia-type smell is a clear indicator of shrimps gone bad. In addition, these shrimps will develop a typical fishy smell.
Fresh shrimps usually have a little salty smell like that of saltwater or no smell at all. Whether these shrimps are shelled, or unshelled doesn’t matter much.
Cooked shrimp will most likely release a bad sour smell which can be easily recognized, so toss it in the bin.
You should always try to smell the shrimp before you buy or eat it.
Texture
When Shrimp go bad, they tend to develop a slimy texture on the surface. If you touch the shrimp and it feels slimy, then most likely it has gone bad. In addition, the shell is mostly broken in shrimps that have gone bad. You should always make sure that the shells are intact before eating shrimps.
In addition, don’t try to rinse raw shrimp in an attempt to get rid of bacteria because it won’t help. You can’t get rid of bacteria once they have contaminated the shrimp. Instead, you may as well contaminate utensils and plates around.
The importance of “How to tell if shrimp is bad?” is as much as “How long does shrimp last in the fridge?” as answers to both the questions can save you from food poisoning.
Hopefully, this won’t happen, but you should be prepared for a scenario where you accidentally eat a shrimp that has gone bad.
What To Do If You Eat Bad Shrimp?
The best thing is to try to induce vomiting by putting fingers inside your throat to save yourself from food poisoning. However, there is a problem with this solution which is that many people don’t realize that they have eaten a bad shrimp, who would want to eat a bad shrimp and risk their health after all.
If you accidentally eat bad shrimp, you get exposed to many foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella, E. coli, Vibrio, and Bacillus; these pathogens are responsible for almost 90% of cases of food poisoning worldwide every year.
Due to food poisoning, you can have diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and abdominal cramps. In some severe cases, people may as well end up being hospitalized.
Therefore, it is important to know how long does shrimp last in the fridge. Otherwise, you may have to suffer from a terrible experience of food poisoning.
Hopefully, many questions, along with “How long does shrimp last in the fridge?” have been answered and you are now well informed to judge whether a shrimp has gone bad or not.
Frequently Asked Questions
What To Do If I Get Food Poisoning?
First and foremost, you should consult a doctor and get medical help. If your case is not a severe one, then here are some of the remedies:
Take lots of Rest. Simply take it easy and don’t do a lot of physical work before you feel better. Due to food poisoning, you may feel physically weak as our defense system is on its high.
Hydrate yourself with electrolytes. You can end up losing electrolytes, with diarrhea dehydrating your body. Electrolytes are essential to the normal functioning of your body. In most cases, dehydration can be treated at home but if you get severe dehydration, which can be reflected by tiredness, weakness, and irregular heartbeat, then you need to get hospitalized and seek professional help without a second thought.
Follow the BRAT diet. The BRAT diet consists of foods that are gentle on the stomach, such as rice, bananas, and toast. This diet will allow you to retain food in the case of diarrhea and let your body replenish itself with the lost nutrients.
Use probiotics in your meals. Probiotics will kill the bacteria which is the cause of your food poisoning. In addition, you will need to take medicines to counter the bacteria. You need to consult a doctor for prescribing medicine as well as recommend probiotics.
With all this long process of recovering from food poisoning, you must have realized the importance of knowing how long does shrimp last in the fridge.
How To Pack Your Shrimp Before Placing It In The Fridge Or Freezer?
In both cases, you should place the shrimps in an airtight container if it is cooked. Otherwise, a simple heavy-duty aluminum foil will also work.
Can I Clean A Shrimp That Has Just Started To Go Bad?
Never try to do such a thing because you have increased your chances of food poisoning along with contaminating other food and utensils around in trying to save this shrimp. The only way forward is to just toss it in the bin.
Hopefully, this article has helped answer “how long does shrimp last in the fridge” and many other questions, along with providing you with the essential information for preventing food poisoning.
Now, you won’t have to ask how long does shrimp last in the fridge.
Bon appetite with fresh shrimp!
