Don't Believe The Lies: Frozen Salmon Is Just As Good As Fresh Salmon

If you're a fan of seafood, you probably enjoy salmon. One study found that Americans eat salmon the most out of any fish, and salmon is the second-most eaten seafood item (behind shrimp). Since salmon is such a versatile and easy-to-cook fish, it makes sense that — if you want seafood — there's a good chance you're going to reach for those pink filets.

And if you've ever talked about seafood online, you've probably encountered the snobs who think fresh is the only acceptable answer for fish — as well as pretty much all other food items. There's long been a mild stigma among people concerning the process of freezing foods and thawing them later. This sort of makes sense as an artifact of culinary history; for a time, frozen foods (particularly meats) did actually taste worse, because they were slow-frozen rather than flash-frozen. But modern technology means salmon (and a lot of other foods) now taste just as good when frozen as they do fresh — and in many cases, frozen salmon actually tastes better than "fresh" salmon. If you're wondering how that's possible, the answer is pretty simple: science.

Of course, salmon that's just come off of a boat that day and been delivered directly to your table will taste better than almost anything you can get elsewhere. That's true of basically all seafood and shouldn't surprise anyone. So, if you're in the coastal parts of Alaska or Washington state, you should obviously get the fresh stuff.

Anywhere else, though? That's a different story. Here's where the science comes in, because the technology involved in modern-day transportation means frozen salmon is actually better than "fresh." Fresh salmon starts to lose its taste and texture within a day. So, if your grocery store advertises its salmon as "fresh, never-frozen," and it hasn't been flown in overnight (which it probably hasn't), then the salmon's probably not going to be that good. But most "fresh" salmon actually was frozen, then thawed for display at the grocery store — meaning that, during that time on display, it's been coming closer and closer to the expiration of its ticking clock.

Frozen, packaged salmon doesn't have that problem. This type of fish is typically flash-frozen right at its freshest point, meaning it stays at that level right up until you thaw it yourself for dinner. Chances are, if you're not in one of the few places that offer fresh salmon caught that day, you're getting more quality out of the frozen stuff.

Much like salmon can be frozen and retain its integrity, more foods than you might realize do well in the freezer. Harder cheeses like parmesan and cheddar do quite well (though, softer cheeses like brie definitely don't). Ginger is actually better when you freeze it, because it loses nothing in taste and becomes a lot easier to grate or chop. Fresh herbs in general don't sacrifice anything, either, so if you've got more from your garden than you can immediately use, bag them and put them in the freezer. Bread might hold up the best out of everything; fresh bread that's immediately frozen lessens in neither taste nor texture.

On the other hand, there are foods you should really avoid freezing. Cooked potatoes are a disaster, turning squishy and crumbly. Gelatin becomes ooze. Eggs can be frozen after they're removed from the shell, but freezing them inside the shell is a horrible idea; water expands, and an eggshell is a confined space — you do the math. Soft or liquid dairy products like milk and sour cream might go worst of all, having a tendency to separate.

The key is really just knowing which foods work and which foods don't. Basically, it's like anything else when it comes to cooking.