Buying Tips
FRESH SEAFOOD
BUYING TIPS

General Information

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  1. The Nose Knows: Trust your instincts when buying seafood. If the store, or the fish smell fishy - leave and don’t go back. Fresh seafood should never be smelly.
  2. One bad apple may not spoil the whole bunch, but one bad piece of fish can contaminate an entire batch of fresh fish or shellfish. If even one piece in the display looks less than fresh, make another selection.
  3. Never store seafood for more than one or two days. Store seafood in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Corning ware that is covered AND wrapped in plastic work very well.
  4. Choose a reputable, knowledgable seafood market. Make sure that the store is clean and that the cases are properly refrigerated or iced.
  5. Be sure to ask the counter clerks for storage and preparation suggestions as well as when the catch came in.

 

WHOLE FISH

  • Eyes should be protruding, if the eyes are sunken in, the fish is bad.
  • Skin should be smooth and gleaming, the flesh should be firm.
  • Gills should be bright red.

 

 

 

FISH FILETS

  • Look for shiny, firm flesh
  • Holes in the flesh indicate that the fish is old and deteriorating, or that the fish was not handled properly when caught. Either way, leave it in the store.
  • If there is water in the dish where the fish is presented, it was probably previously frozen. Be sure to ask at the counter, so you don’t refreeze it when you get home.

 

 

 

SHELLFISH

  • DO NOT BUY clams, mussels and oysters that are opened. Opened shells mean that the items were stored improperly. Shells that are kept too cold will open and release their juices because the shellfish’s muscles get numb and they can’t keep their shells closed. Shellfish that are kept too warm, will open, dry out and rot.
  • Always use clams, mussels and oysters right away.

 

 

 

SHRIMP

  • DO NOT BUY shrimp that smell of iodine or amonia.
  • Shrimp should be firm and NOT slimy.

 

 

 

SCALLOPS

  • Look for firm and bright flesh
  • Don’t buy scallops that are in pieces. That suggests improper handling at sea.
  • Juices should be clear

 

 

 

LOBSTERS & CRABS

  • ONLY purchase and cook lobsters and crabs that are alive.

 

 

 

SOFTSHELL CRABS

  • Softshells are not a separate species of crab, they are merely hardshell crabs that are caught in the few days between shedding one shell and hardening another.
  • Softshells should be refrigerated in a moist environment for no more than two days.
  • Unlike hardshells, softshells can be successfully frozen for several months, if wrapped tightly in an airtight container. Thaw in the refrigerator in a pan of cool water.

 

 

 

FROZEN SEAFOOD

  • Check for holes in the packaging. Do not buy any package with holes or tears in it as the seafood may be freezer burned.
  • If buying bagged seafood, choose a bag that does not have a lot of frost.

 

 

 

PICKED CRABMEAT, SHELLED OYSTERS & CLAMS

  • Always check the expiration date.
  • Look for clear liquid in the packaging. Don’t buy any seafood packed in murky or dark colored liquid.

 

 

 

FINAL REMINDER

  • TRUST YOUR NOSE - and don’t be afraid to ask to smell what you are buying. It’s your money and your health!

 


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