How To Check If The Fish You Bought Is Fresh?

Fish is not only delicious, but it can be transformed in to a numerable dishes. It consists of high quality protein and fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardine may have good amount of omega-3 fatty acids that benefit brain development in children and protect against coronary heart disease and dementia in adults. While cooking fish may be a complicated task, checking if it is fresh or not so easy. Cooking the perfect fish depends completely on how carefully you buy it. The selection of the fish may actually make or break your dish. So what are some key points that you should keep in mind before buying your stock of fish the next time.

If you are choosing frozen fish, always avoid those with freezer burn. You can find out from the ice crystals that form in the packaging and also the yellowish tinge to the meat.

1. Smell the fish

Fresh fish should smell of the sea and shouldn't have a strong fishy odour or a pungent smell. It has to be natural and pleasant. The pungent smell is of the trimethylamine, an organic compound released from the rotting fish.

2. Check for the eyes

This is one of the best ways to check if the fish is fresh or not; the eyes should ideally be bulging, clear and shiny. Check for any cloudiness that may indicate the rotting of the fish. Moreover, the eyes are sunken in the head, there could be a chance the fish is very old.

3. Investigate the gills

If it is a whole fish, the gills must be bright pink or reddish in colour. Make sure the gills are slightly wet and not slimy and dry.

4. Check the skin

Skin should be smooth and not flaky. The flesh of the fish should bounce back on touching it. The colour flesh shouldn't look dull and should be firm. Cracked skin or loose scales may indicate the fish is not fresh.