Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Handling Seafood
A healthy diet includes seafood. It not only provides you with high quality protein, it provides omega-3 fatty acids and many other essentials to health. In order to get your full nutrition and value from seafood, you need to know how to handle it right. Following these basic safety rules will keep your seafood safe and delicious.
When you go to buy fish at the grocery store or in a seafood shop, the fish should be displayed either in a refrigerated unit or on a thick bed of fresh ice. The entire fish area should smell clean and fresh, not at all fishy. Take a close look at the seafood. The eyes on whole fish should be slightly bulged and clear. There are only a few types of fish that have cloudy eyes and most are not commonly sold at the market.
Both fillets and whole fish should have flesh that is firm and shiny. The gills should be a nice bright red and there should be no evidence of slime. Dull colored meat could mean the fish has been sitting there too long. If you press the meat with your finger, it should spring back. Fillets should not look like they are drying out or darkening around the edges. There should be no yellow or green discoloration and there should be no areas that look dry or mushy.
Shellfish come with a tag or label from their processors. No fishmonger should have a problem showing you these tags or labels if you request it. Really good ones will have them displayed with the seafood. These tags are marked with the processor’s certification number and other information you may need to know about your seafood.
Toss any oysters, clams, or mussels that are cracked or broken. To check whole ones, tap on the shells. Live shellfish will close up tightly when tapped. If they do not close, pass them by. Lobsters and crabs that are purchased alive should be showing some leg movement. They spoil very fast, so buying these foods live is the only way to guarantee what you are getting is fresh.
Once you get home, put the seafood in the fridge if you will be eating it within two days. Any longer than that and you had better consider freezing it. Living seafood should be eaten that same day if possible. Frozen seafood should be thawed gradually overnight in the refrigerator. Follow standard cleanliness routines and sanitize your hands, knives and cutting board to prevent cross contamination.
It does not matter if you are making a full seafood meal or some easy appetizers. Always make sure your seafood is cooked properly. Fish will turn an opaque color and flake easily when it is done. Lobster and shrimp will take on an opaque pearly quality when they are perfectly cooked. Scallops will be a nice milky white and firm to the touch. Oysters, mussels, and clams are done when their shells open. Discard any that do not open.
These steps will help ensure that your seafood turns out perfectly. Your guests and family need to have a meal that is not only delicious, but also safe to eat. The worst that can happen is that someone gets sick from your food. These simple rules will keep your seafood safe and delicious.
What are your favorite dip recipes? Perhaps your favorite dip is French onion. This dip is incredibly easy to make. If you like a creamy spinach dip, you can make that one from scratch, too. You can even take all the cheese scraps in your fridge and blend them together to make a great spread.