This hack will help your fish stay fresher for longer

Fish doesn't stay fresh for long, and experts say it's best to eat it on the day you buy it for the best taste.

But if you can't cook it until one or two days after you've bought it, there is a way to keep fish as fresh as the day it was caught, reports the Daily Mail.

So if you've been putting fish straight into the fridge before now, you've been storing it wrong.

Keeping fish fresh is all to do with the temperature that you store it at.

Fridges are on average about 3 to 4 C, which is simply not cool enough to keep the quality of fish from degrading significantly within 24 hours.

Though fish won't harm you after this window of time, it certainly won't taste as good as when you first bought it.

But there is a very simple way to make sure your fish stays fresh, according to Serious Eats.

Laying your fish underneath ice or ice packs will lower the temperature to about 0 C, which will keep it from degrading in quality for up to three days.

This is the reason traditional fishmongers keep their fish on ice.

Aluminium sheet pans covered in ice are best for keeping fish at a low temperature, but if you don't have any to hand, there is a much simpler way to keep your fish fresh at home.

Rinse fish fillets, carefully pat them dry and then place in a single layer in a plastic freezer bag, says Serious Eats.

Do not stack them or allow them to touch too much - this will allow bacteria to grow.

Press out all the air in the bag before sealing it, and lay the bag with the fish inside on a layer of ice or ice packs on a tray.

Place more ice or ice packs on top of the plastic bag and keep at the bottom of your fridge towards the back as this is the coldest part of the appliance.

As long as your fish remains cold and dry it will remain as fresh as the day you bought it - which will seriously improve the quality of your lunch or dinner.