How to store live clams, mussels, crab, and oysters
Best place: the fridge. USDA gives live clams, mussels, crab, and oysters a fridge time (1 to 2 days, from the package date) and no pantry time, so they belong in the fridge as soon as you get home. The freezer gives 2 to 3 months.
No guideline
1 to 2 days
from the package date
2 to 3 months
best quality within
How to tell live clams, mussels, crab, and oysters have gone bad
General signs for seafood: shellfish, the group USDA lists live clams, mussels, crab, and oysters under.
- Shells that stay open and will not close when tapped
- Cracked or broken shells on live shellfish
- Strong ammonia or sour smell instead of a fresh sea smell
- Shrimp with a slimy texture or spreading black spots
- Live shellfish that float in water instead of sinking
More on seafood: shellfish. The times above are quality guidelines, not safety limits; food that shows these signs goes out regardless of the date.
Storage habits that make the difference
Store live shellfish in a breathable container, like a bowl covered with a damp cloth, never sealed in plastic or submerged in water. Keep them cold, near 32 to 40 F (0 to 4 C), and cook the same day if possible. Refrigerate cooked shellfish and shrimp promptly and use within a couple of days.
How to store other seafood: shellfish
Source: USDA FSIS FoodKeeper dataset (public domain). How we decode the data.