Although there is a restaurant on almost every corner that serves sushi, you much prefer to consume it in the comfort of your own home. You’re on your way home and decide to pick up a sushi bento box that’s already been prepared for you to eat.
Unfortunately, your plans for the evening had to be altered, and the package is still in the refrigerator the following day. Does sushi go bad?
It’s also possible that you’ve never actually eaten sushi before, but you’re interested in giving it a shot. Because you are somewhat reserved and don’t want to make a fool of yourself in a Japanese restaurant, you want to practice making the dish at home before going out. In addition, you do not know how to eat with the sticks provided.
You reasoned that getting a ready-made package from the grocery store would be the best way to get started. The fact that the fish in sushi is frequently served raw jogged your memory, and this prompted you to question whether or not the sushi in question should be consumed.
In any case, if you are just starting out with sushi, you should read this article. We discuss the best ways to store sushi, how long it can stay fresh on the shelf, and when it starts to go bad. Bento boxes and sushi that is prepared and sold in grocery stores are both topics that we cover.
How to Properly Keep Your Sushi
Refrigeration is absolutely necessary for sushi. Once you get home, place the bento box in the refrigerator and take it out just before you are ready to eat if you purchased one that included a sushi set.
The same thing applies if you purchased a sushi set that was already prepared from your neighborhood grocery store. Keeping the dish in the farthest corner of the refrigerator, where the temperature is relatively constant, will allow it to maintain its freshness for the longest amount of time.
If you didn’t manage to finish everything in one sitting after you opened the package or container, you can keep the leftovers for a short time in the refrigerator or freezer.
Place any leftover sushi in a container that can be sealed tightly and place it in the refrigerator. This will prevent any odors from the refrigerator from permeating the dish and will also slow down the drying process. These guidelines also apply to sushi that you make at home.
A word of advice: make sure you don’t overstuff the container, as this will probably mess up the consistency of the sushi and may even ruin the experience for you. When it comes to food like sushi, presentation is everything.
Take into consideration that the taste of your sushi probably won’t be as good the next day as it was today. Because of this, there is a solution that does not involve storing the dish after it has been prepared.
Instead, you can consume the fish (which is the most costly component) and throw away the remaining components (rice, nori, etc.).
Follow the instructions given above for storage if, like me, you do everything in your power to minimize the amount of food that is thrown away. However, I am aware that there are some gourmands who choose to consume the most expensive ingredient in its highest quality and don’t mind wasting the remainder of the dish. Your tastes and preferences will determine the outcome.
A word of advice: If you try to freeze the sushi, don’t bother because you won’t enjoy it once it’s defrosted.
How Long Can Sushi Remain Fresh?
It is common knowledge that sushi has a notoriously short shelf life. In an ideal scenario, you would eat it as soon as a chef served it to you on a plate in front of you. However, this is not the case when it comes to sushi that has been purchased from a store.
There is always a date printed on the label of a prepared bento box of sushi that is sold in a refrigerator, so make sure you check it before you buy it. In most cases, it is a “use-by” or “sell-by” date. In addition, since most of the boxes contain raw fish or other types of seafood, I recommend that you stick to that date.
It is dependent on how it is prepared and packaged as to whether or not such a box has a long shelf life, in case you were wondering about that. In most cases, it takes anywhere from a few days up to about a week.
If you select a package of sushi from a display that does not contain a refrigerator, you should consume it within 24 hours if it contains raw seafood and up to 3 days if it does not. It goes without saying that you should put the package in the refrigerator as soon as you get home.
Be sure that the sushi is freshly prepared before purchasing it from the display case. That can be accomplished in two different ways. In the event that the sushi is delivered, you should purchase it first thing in the morning, right after it has been delivered. If it is done in-house, the freshness can be ensured by selecting a location with a high turnover rate.
How to Determine Whether or Not the Sushi Has Gone Bad
To begin, you should toss it out if the date that’s printed on the label has passed. In the case of raw seafood, it is always best to err on the side of caution, even if it’s possible that it can still be consumed safely.
Let’s move on to the telltale signs that sushi has gone bad. First things first, take a look at the rice and the fish. Throw out the sushi rice if it has become brittle, as this indicates that the sushi will not taste good.
Examine the fish carefully, looking for any discolorations or signs that it has become slimy. In either scenario, the dish should be thrown away. As is customary, check to see that the entire thing satisfies the taste test as well.
You are welcome to consume the sushi as long as it has not passed its expiration date and appears, feels, and smells acceptable. Obviously, you should stop eating and toss the whole thing if you detect even the slightest deviation in flavor from what it should be.
