Sushi is a fresh, delicious treat that, once tasted, you’ll be hooked on for life. Most people buy it in supermarkets or from their local Asian stores, but a few of us more adventurous types dare to make it at home ourselves.
The problem is that it doesn’t keep very well, or does it?
It’s such a wonderful treat for your tastebuds that it seems a shame to get rid of any leftovers. But we are all aware of the dangers of keeping fresh fish and rice for too long.
That’s why I decided to put pen to paper, or less figuratively speaking, fingertips to a keypad, to inform you how long sushi can last if stored correctly and what correctly means.
If you would like to read on, you can discover all about storing sushi and being able to recognize the tell-tale signs that it has turned. Are you sitting comfortably? - Then I’ll begin.
What is Sushi
Sushi is so much more than just a Japanese delicacy. It’s a part of Japanese culture and is a culinary legend whose fame has spread worldwide. Like many Japanese things, the way it is prepared is an intrinsic part of the final product.
When you mention sushi, most people think about raw fish. They confuse it with sashimi. However, they are two very different dishes. While sashimi is mainly thinly sliced raw fish or meat, meat and fish are not the main ingredients of sushi.
For the final presentation, sushi in the West is usually cut into small, delicate cylindrical pieces so that they can be eaten and savored slowly.
It’s not to be rushed. It is usually accompanied by various condiments or dips like pickled ginger, soy sauce, and wasabi.
One of the principal ingredients in sushi is rice, something that sashimi doesn’t include. But sushi has to include rice, or it’s not sushi at all.
The other primary sushi ingredient is nori, a type of seaweed used to form the cylindrical tube that is then stuffed with rice and other ingredients such as avocados, fish, radishes, and seafood.
Related Reads:
How long can sushi sit out
Sushi that has been freshly made shouldn’t be left out at room temperature for longer than two hours. It’s best to cover it over with a layer of food wrap to prevent it from going dry. You need to keep it out of direct sunlight and away from heating elements or hot surfaces.
You’ll see it on display in supermarkets and Asian stores in chilled display cases to extend its shelf life.
If you’re making it yourself at home and you’re not going to eat it immediately. You can pop it into the fridge to keep them out of the danger zone of 40°F - 140°F. This will act like the sushi you see in the shops in chilled display cabinets and delay bacterial growth. It can be left in the refrigerator for as long as 1 to 2 days depending on the sushi.
| Type of sushi | Storage at room temperature | Storage in the fridge |
|---|---|---|
| Cooked (e.g. eel, California rolls) | 2 hours | 3 to 4 days |
| Raw (e.g. sashimi) | 2 hours | 1 to 2 days |
How long is sushi good for after you buy it?
If we’re talking about shop-bought sushi or restaurant take-out sushi, which contains raw fish, you can keep it in your fridge for up to 24 hours.
You can eat it after 24-hour’s, but the taste and texture won’t be as good. The nori seaweed will become limp, and the rice will become harder or softer.
The key is not leaving it out at room temperature for more than two hours. If you do, you are promoting the opportunity for bacterial growth, especially with sushi that contains raw fish.
But let’s say that you’ve got some sushi in your fridge and you’ve just gone past the 24-hour marker; what should you do?
What action should you take?
The first thing to do if you’re a little over the 24-hour recommendation is to take a look at the sushi color and have a little sniff.
If the color had changed from when you bought it, or it looks a little sad and dull, you should ditch it. You should also throw it out if it smells a little fishy or off.
Similarly, if you notice any mold or slime, it’s time to part company.
How to store leftover sushi
If you took some takeaway sushi home from the restaurant in the Styrofoam box they gave you, you ought to repack it in plastic food wrap and/or foil and transfer it into an airtight container. This is how the FDA recommends you should store raw fish or seafood.
Here’s what to do once you open the container
Step 1
- When you open the container and take out the sushi rolls, check to ensure no excess moisture is clinging to the rolls before you wrap them in a plastic food wrap or foil. Any lingering moisture can accelerate bacterial growth.
- Transfer the wrapped sushi into an airtight container. It will keep moisture at bay, helping to prevent the growth of bacteria. The best airtight containers are the ones you can “burp” to get rid of most of the air.
- Make sure you don’t use containers that you can’t seal properly as these could promote bacterial growth, which will ruin the food stored inside.
Step 2
- You can refrigerate raw sushi for up to 2 days and cooked sushi for up to 4 days. It can also be frozen if you wish to store it longer. But the downside is that the taste and texture are likely to be compromised.
Step 3
- Ensure that the temperature of your fridge is 41°F or 5°C. Any higher, and it could promote slow bacterial growth.
For shop bought sushi in unopened packaging
Shop-bought sushi purchased from grocery stores that are still in its unopened packaging can be refrigerated for up to 2 to 3 days.
Some sushi rolls contain dressings, sauces, and other emulsifying and stabilizing agents which are used to help them maintain appearance and freshness.
Sushi rice is also often prepared with corn syrup and extra preservatives.
I read somewhere that sushi bought from a supermarket still in its original unopened packaging can be refrigerated until you’re ready to eat it.
That is dangerous information. I suggest you follow the 2-day guideline and check its appearance and smell before eating.
The other advice I would offer you is not to purchase sushi from a store or supermarket unless it is kept in a refrigerated display case.
If the packaging has been opened, please use the storage advice I gave you earlier.
Leftover sushi from the restaurant ought not to be stored overnight.
The reason why?
The problem with storing leftover sushi you took away with you from the restaurant is that you don’t know how long it was left out before it was served.
Add that unknown to the time it was sitting on your table in the restaurant and how long it took you to get home, and it becomes a big grey area.
Remembering what I said earlier about the 2-hour guideline for sushi left out at room temperature, I wouldn’t suggest taking it home to eat unless you can be certain it hasn’t gone beyond the 2-hour recommendation.
There are many different types of sushi. Take a look at this article on the masterclass.com website, and you’ll see what I mean.
Sushi is such a delicious eating experience. I suggest you try them all, and if you do have leftovers, you now know how to deal with them.
While you’re planning your next sushi feast, it might be a good idea to work out how many calories you’re letting yourself in for. Check it out on the bitemybun.com website.
Can you eat sushi that’s over a day old?
I know people who store their sushi in their fridges for more than 24 hours. Of course, that’s their choice, but it is not something I would recommend as the quality worsens significantly if you keep it any longer.
- After being refrigerated for 24-hours, even perfectly wrapped sushi begins to dry out as the rice becomes tough and crumbly.
- Remember what I said earlier about sushi that contains raw fish? Eat it within 24 hours. When raw fish is mixed with other sushi ingredients, it is more likely to spoil because of bacterial growth.
- Nori, the special seaweed used to make some sushi, will turn hard and chewy when left in the fridge.
- Any veggie pieces in sushi will begin to turn brown and lose their texture, becoming somewhat slimy and soggy.
Note:
Eat refrigerated sushi within 24 hours. Leave it any longer, and the quality will deteriorate. You owe it to yourself to eat it at its best.
Can you freeze sushi?
Can it be done? Yes, you can, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you should.
You can’t really make sushi in very small quantities, so the chances are that you could have leftovers, and you could be tempted to try freezing it.
However, if you do so, you run the risk that the rice and any cucumber or avocado you use may not survive being frozen. Even if it does, the overall quality of the sushi will still deteriorate.
One thing I must reiterate, however, is that you should never, ever freeze store-bought sushi. You could make yourself very ill.
The best-before dates on food packaging have been put there for a reason. Okay, some people might take a risk, but you should never do it with sushi.
How the heck do you know whether or not some of the ingredients the store used weren’t previously frozen?
Freeze sushi at your own risk, but please note that I certainly don’t recommend it.
How to reheat sushi
Okay, first off, I’m not suggesting that you eat warm sushi. That’s just nasty. But when you buy store-bought sushi, it doesn’t have quite the same flavor or texture of fresh sushi that you order in a restaurant.
The reason is that the sushi rice starts to harden and separate after it’s been in a refrigerated display case for a while
The other ingredients and toppings also tend to lose a little flavor and softness when kept too long in a cooled environment. Gently warming sushi can bring it back to its original condition if it’s done correctly.
I made a detailed post about How to Reheat Sushi or a Clever Hack to soften sushi.
Here’s how:
- Transfer the store-bought sushi in its packaging from your fridge and put it onto a microwave-safe plate.
- Change the setting on the microwave to 500W and heat the sushi for 30 seconds. Check how set the power level setting here.
- Don’t microwave it for any longer, or you will begin to cook it.
30 seconds at 500W is just enough to take the chill of the rice. As well as the rest of the ingredients and revive the sushi to its glorious former state.
Even some restaurants use this trick, although they use a sushi rice-warmer instead of using a microwave.
How to tell sushi is past its eat by date?
Eating unfresh or off sushi can make you seriously ill. Here are the signs to look out for to indicate you shouldn’t eat it.
- Horrible smell - When sushi spoils due to the growth of bacteria, it will give off an unpleasant smell. I always recommend smelling refrigerated sushi before you eat it. Even when it’s been in the fridge for less than 24 hours.
- Dull appearance - When refrigerated, sushi sometimes not only undergoes a taste and texture change. But it takes on a slightly dull appearance too which is a sign of potential spoilage.
- Slimy texture - Some stored foods and cooked rice, in particular, develop a surface slime. It’s not always easy to spot but is easy to feel. If your sushi has become slimy, throw it out.
- The Appearance of Mold - if you spot any signs of mold, e.g., a fuzzy growth, dark-colored spots or holes, or depressions, it could be a sign of mold.
- Unpleasant taste - If your stored sushi tastes slightly sour or bitter, it’s probably gone off. Don’t eat it - bin it.
Note:
Regardless of how long you stored your sushi, use your senses of sight, smell, and touch before you eat it to ensure it hasn’t gone off.
How long does sushi last?
Sushi is as popular as it is because it is a combination of wonderfully fresh ingredients. But one of the drawbacks with fresh ingredients is they spoil quicker than frozen foods or foods that contain additives and preservatives.
Of course, not many ingredients have a shorter shelf life than fresh fish.
Even when the fish or seafood used in sushi is frozen, it only puts off the inevitability, and in the process, many frozen products deteriorate significantly when they are defrosted.
- With fish, for example, once it’s been defrosted, it has to be used and preferably consumed within 48 hours. Left any longer than that, it is likely to make you ill if you eat it.
Some of the other ingredients used in sushi, such as those that are plant-based, have longer life spans than fish and seafood. They can last pretty well twice as long, which confirms where the problem arises with poorly prepared sushi.
Various ingredients used to make sushi
Although many people associate sushi with Japan, the fact of the matter is that it originated in China. Originally, it was made with fresh crab, fish, and shrimp, chopped and wrapped in a salty-sweet crispy seaweed wrap.
It was exported to Japan, whose inhabitants welcomed it with open arms and have since made it their own, and now it is well known and loved as a Japanese delicacy the world over.
In addition to best-known ingredients such as crab, raw fish, tuna, shrimp, avocado, cucumber, and of course nori, other sushi ingredients include:
- Carrots (pickled)
- Caviar
- Cream cheese
- Mushrooms
- Scallions
- Sesame seeds
The majority of freshly made sushi rolls don’t last more than a day. It shouldn’t be left out at room temperature for longer than two hours and preferably should be eaten the same day.
I certainly don’t recommend freezing it. As soon as you defrost it, bacterial growth will start almost straight away.
The other thing to consider is the mixture of ingredients. When wet and dry ingredients are stored together, they will soon turn into a mushy soggy mess.
The bottom line
Beautifully prepared fresh sushi brings together a host of wonderful ingredients, including raw and cooked fish and seafood and an incredible array of vegetables stuffed into a cylinder of nori seaweed.
It looks elegant when appropriately presented and is delicious.
But if it’s not eaten immediately after it’s prepared (certainly no longer than two hours if kept out at room temperature), parasitic and bacterial growth can take place that could make you seriously ill.
However, if you follow the recommendations I have given you above, i.e., refrigerate raw fish sushi for one to two days and cook sushi for no more than three to four days, you can eat it safely.
A reminder
If you’re buying prepackaged store-bought sushi, be aware of its expiration date, and if you do have any leftovers, wrap them in plastic film (having first made sure that there is no excess moisture clinging to them).
Transfer them to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for no longer than 24 hours - 2 days maximum, providing you carry out all the checks I mentioned earlier to ensure they’re still okay to eat.
