Keeping Seafood Fresh: How Long Do Refrigerated Cooked Shrimp Last?
Today, for the family gathering, I made a lot of cooked shrimp, but there was some left. I want to put them in the refrigerator for cold storage, but I don't know "How long can cooked shrimp in cold storage be kept". Today, let's discuss it!
How long do refrigerated cooked shrimp last?
Under normal circumstances, cooked shrimp can be kept in a sealed bag or container, with the air expelled and then put in the refrigerator's cold storage compartment. The best preservation time is 2 - 3 days. The temperature of the refrigerator's cold storage compartment is best kept stable at 0 - 4℃.
During the preservation period, the quality and taste of the shrimp will be well maintained and the taste will not change much. But if it is stored for more than 3 days, then the shrimp may deteriorate. If the cooked shrimp has loose meat, peculiar smell and stickiness, it is not recommended to eat it again.
Tips
If you add a lot of seasonings to the shrimp, such as using a large amount of salt, five-spice powder and other seasonings, then the preservation time of salt will be slightly extended by 1 - 2 days.
Can I eat cooked shrimp after 5 days?
It depends on the actual situation.
If the cooked shrimp is stored in the refrigerator for cold storage or at room temperature, it is not recommended to eat it after 5 days. Even if the shrimp is stored in the refrigerator for cold storage, it can only be stored for about 3 days at most. The shrimp that has been stored for 5 days may have bred a large amount of bacteria and microorganisms, which is not conducive to human health after consumption.
But if the shrimp is stored in the freezer, then under the low-temperature conditions of the freezer, it can help extend the preservation time of the shrimp. At this time, the shrimp that has been stored for 5 days can still be eaten. But before eating, it should be taken out and thawed and then heated.
How do you store leftover cooked shrimp?
Preserving cooked shrimp is very particular. You can choose the storage method according to your eating time.
If you only want to preserve it for a short time, then you can put the cooked shrimp into a sealed bag or sealed container, squeeze out all the air, and then put it in the refrigerator's cold storage compartment. It can be preserved for 1 - 3 days.
Note that during the preservation process, do not leave the shrimp open, otherwise it is easy to absorb odors and spoil easily.
If you are going to preserve it for a long time, then you can wrap the cooked shrimp one by one with plastic wrap, and then put it in a sealed bag or sealed box and put it in the freezer for storage. This preservation method can last for several months. But it should be noted that before eating the frozen shrimp, it should be taken out and thawed in the refrigerator in advance.
How do you know if cooked shrimp has gone bad?
It can be judged by the following methods:
Observe the color
The most direct way to judge whether cooked shrimp has gone bad is to judge by color. Usually, fresh cooked shrimp has a bright color, smooth shrimp shells and firm shrimp meat.
And deteriorated cooked shrimp will have black spots, or the shrimp meat will become dull, and even produce mucus.
Smell the odor
Smelling the odor of shrimp is also an important way to judge whether cooked shrimp has gone bad. Usually, fresh shrimp has a light sea smell, which is a normal phenomenon. If the shrimp emits a sour, stinky or other peculiar smell, then it is mostly deteriorated and not recommended to eat it again.
Check the texture
You can also judge by checking the texture of cooked shrimp. Usually, fresh cooked shrimp has firm and elastic meat. If the shrimp meat becomes loose or sticky, then it is likely that the shrimp has deteriorated.
Observe the preservation time and method
Finally, it can be judged by observing the preservation time and method of cooked shrimp. Under normal circumstances, cooked shrimp should be eaten as soon as possible. If it needs to be preserved, it should also be placed in a sealed container and put in the refrigerator for preservation. If the preservation time is exceeded, the shrimp will deteriorate.
Can you refrigerate and reheat cooked shrimp?
Cooked shrimp in cold storage can be reheated.
If there are relatively few shrimps, then you can use a microwave oven to heat them. Just put the shrimp in a container dedicated for microwave ovens and heat them on high heat for 1 - 2 minutes.
You can also heat them by steaming. Just put the refrigerated shrimp in a steamer. After the water boils, steam for 3 - 5 minutes. This way can retain the fresh and tender taste of the shrimp.
Finally, you can also heat the shrimp by stir-frying. Pour a little oil into the pan, add scallions, ginger and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant. Then put the shrimp in and stir-fry. Add a little cooking wine, light soy sauce and other seasonings. Stir-fry for 2 - 3 minutes to make the shrimp evenly heated. This method can make the shrimp more flavorful.
Is it safe to eat reheated shrimp?
Generally speaking, it is safe to reheat shrimp that has been refrigerated.
But the prerequisite is that the shrimp is freshly cooked before refrigeration and properly preserved during refrigeration. For example, it is placed in a clean and sealed container and the temperature is maintained at about 0 - 4℃, which can slow down the growth of bacteria.
When reheating, heating the shrimp to a sufficient temperature can kill harmful bacteria. For example, when steaming, steam for 3 - 5 minutes after the water boils; when stir-frying, stir-fry for 2 - 3 minutes to raise the temperature inside the shrimp meat.
But if the shrimp is not fresh before refrigeration or has been refrigerated for too long, the possibility of deterioration increases. In this case, even if it is reheated, there may be safety risks, such as causing food poisoning and symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure the initial quality and refrigeration conditions of the shrimp before reheating and eating it with confidence.
