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Salmon is an extremely tasty and healthy choice for any meal. There are a wide variety choices, however most salmon you'll get from your grocery store is Atlantic salmon because it is quite abundant. Other popular and also tasty types of salmon include Sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon, and silver salmon. If available, you should give these a try as well. When you do select your fish, make sure that it is fresh-the fresher the better.  The flesh should be bright and colorful, rather than dull or grey. It should also be firm and not feathered. When pressed with your finger, the flesh should bounce back, leaving no trace of indentation. The skin should be translucent and bright and not slimy. The gills should be bright red. The eyes should be clear and rounded; if they are cloudy or sunken in, the fish is already out of date.

Handling salmon, once purchased, requires its own special attention. Once you get home, remove the fish from its wrapping and rinse it with cold water; next rewrap the salmon in plastic wrap and then cover it with a layer of aluminum. Store it in your refrigerator in the coldest part, to keep it fresh. Ideally, you should avoid the typical temperature setting of 40-140 degrees Fahrenheit. Most food is unsafe within this temperature setting. So, remember to keep your salmon as cold as possible. You probably shouldn't keep the fish unfrozen for longer than a day, as it will not keep.  

Do not purchase fish until you actually want to use it. You can freeze salmon by wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap, foil and Ziploc bags. When prepared thusly, salmon can keep in the freezer for up to six months, with its flavor and texture sealed intact. When you want to defrost the salmon, place in the refrigerator for a day or about 30 hours before serving time. Do not try to quick defrost with a warm water bath. When handling salmon, it is important that you are careful. Bacteria will often grow on food that is kept in a temperature range of 40F and 140F. Take the time necessary to defrost the salmon. Again, handling salmon is a delicate affair, but its worth the extra work.