How to Buy The Freshest Shrimp (Hint: Don’t Buy it from the Seafood Counter)

Byamazingfoodstv


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Ensuring tender, briny-tasting shrimp starts at the seafood counter, where many of the rules that apply to buying fish don’t hold true for shrimp.

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Go for White
Increasingly, seafood markets and gourmet shops sell a range of different shrimp species. We compared the three most commonly available types (pink, white, and black tiger) and found that white shrimp had the firmest flesh and the sweetest taste.

Don’t Be Fooled by “Fresh”
Just because shrimp is raw doesn’t mean it’s fresh. Since only 10 percent of the shrimp sold in this country comes from U.S. sources (in recent years, the majority has come from Thailand, followed by Indonesia and Ecuador), chances are the shrimp has been previously frozen. Unless you live near a coastal area, “fresh” shrimp likely means defrosted shrimp.

Don’t Buy Defrosted
Once shrimp are defrosted for the seafood case, the quality declines with each passing day. Unless you ask, there’s no telling how long they have been on display—and in our tests, defrosted shrimp tasted noticeably less fresh even after a day of storage. But if you must buy defrosted, look for unblemished and firm shrimp that fill the shell and smell of the sea.

Buy Individually Quick-Frozen
In general, IQF stands for “individually quick-frozen”: Shrimp are spread on a conveyor belt and frozen at sea, locking in quality and freshness. All bagged frozen shrimp fall into this category; however, it’s not always on the label. Shrimp are also sometimes frozen at sea with water in 5-pound blocks packed in boxes. We prefer bagged individually quick-frozen shrimp, as you can thaw exactly what you need.

Check the Ingredient List
“Shrimp” should be the only ingredient listed on the bag or box. In effort to prevent darkening or water loss during thawing, some manufacturers add salt or STPP (sodium tripolyphosphate). Our tasters found an unpleasant texture in salt-treated and STPP-enhanced shrimp; the latter also had a ­chemical taste.

Buy Wild
We’ve found that wild shrimp have a sweeter flavor and firmer texture than farm-raised, making their higher price worth it. (In this country, 75 percent of the wild shrimp sold comes from the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.) Unless you can purchase them right off the boat, only buy wild shrimp frozen. Because fresh wild shrimp are minimally processed, they are usually shipped with the heads on. The head contains digestive enzymes that break down muscle proteins rapidly after death, resulting in mushy meat. Freezing halts this activity.

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37 Comments

  6. A: Not frozen on the boat and thawed at store. Boat does freeze. Unfreezing and refreeze @ packing. Get to store. The literally remove from package and thaw in the chilled cases that customers see. Yeahhhhh I'd rather buy shrimp that's been sitting in a case for hours. NOT.

    You guys proceed to then say this. Avoid buying frozen. 90% of shrimp on US is from other countries and frozen. So where are you to buy legit fresh if your not close or coastal? Unless you want to pay VERY HIGH $$$ to overnight from X company…. Irritating. Just as the whole "buy fresh fish" go to your fish monger lol….. These suggestions apply to less than half the US that are able to do so.

    Imma get that fresh shrimp. Desert SKRIMPERS since I live in AZ. I can legit drive to a coastal down in MX, less than 4 hrs away and get fresh. But I can't get fresh here. Makes. No. Sense. Such is life. Miss that quality of seafood on the East coast…. my OG home.

  10. For those who are interested in Thailand.We are a leading importer of frozen seafood company. We are main importer of raw material for Thailand seafood industry. Our seafood is guaranteed of being rich, clean and varied with extensive all kinds of seafood that we carefully and heedfully selecting for your need. You can learn more about our information here: http://www.nptanegroup.com

  12. If you can taste the STPP then you need to find a different brand/retailer for you shrimp! Not because they don't taste good, but because they are ripping you off by selling a product that has an excessive amount of absorbed water. Most brands that over treat their product do this because they can add 5-8% water weight to whatever they are selling… In an industry that completely "by the pound", that equates to big bucks on the bottom line… You'll also find this to be much more common in products from China, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Malaysia.

    The simplest way to tell if your seafood is over treated is to thaw one piece out, and stick it in the microwave for about 5 seconds. Does it feel overly slimy? Then there's a good chance what you have is over treated. You can also thaw in a sink with slow stream of running water… If you get a froth around the edge of your sink, that's usually from the chemical.

    Lastly… Good luck buying any "frozen on the boat" seafood that isn't treated with STPP… Around 90% of ALL fisheries use it… And have been doing so for close to 50 years. It's one of the most common food preservatives ever used. Even your McNuggets and Spot's kibble has STPP added… It's everywhere.

  24. DON'T BUY IMPORTED SHRIMP!! They are pond raised and not inspected by USDA ( only 1-2% are inspected) . LOOK FOR WILD CAUGHT USA SHRIMP the taste is so much better. Foreign shrimp is killing the shrinking industry in the US!

  29. I mean it sort of depends. If you live off the coast chances are you're better just getting the counter shrimp, not frozen, because they really can just stock it from the boats in the morning. But if you're in Kansas, for an extreme example, of course frozen is going to be best because there's simply no way to get it there fresh.

  35. How do I get rid of the strong iodine flavor some shrimp can have? Gulf shrimp are especially bad for this problem. Not only do they taste bad but iodine can trigger migranes in people who are prone to getting them.

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