Buying The Best Seafood

Many people fear the process of buying seafood, mostly because they are not sure if they are getting fresh fish with quality. Along with that, there is often a concern that the fish being eaten might not be as safe as they thought it was. To prevent illness and to get the best quality, keep these helpful tips in the back of your mind when you are shopping.

To begin with, if the seafood you are looking at still has its eyes in, take a look at them. If they are gray and dull, you want to avoid picking them up. This means that the creature has been out for a while and is starting to break down. If the gills are still on the offering, check and see if they are bright and red the fish is in good shape, the more faded this coloring becomes, the older the fish is as a rule.

Some other obvious signs that you might want to avoid the seafood you are considering would be liquids on the piece of meat. If you find that there is a milky liquid on it, this will signify that it has spoiled and can be dangerous for you to eat. Smell the piece, even if you do not see this sign and ensure it does not have a strong fishy odor.

It is often popular to pick up living creatures as well. The more active the creature is, the better the investment will be. Any choice that looks like it is hiding in the corner and not moving either will be sick or will have no meat to speak of. If you are concerned with a particular crab or lobster you should ask the sales rep what their input is on this. Just be sure they are someone you can trust.

Finally, you should also consider shellfish. Oysters are a very common item for people to pick up and eat alive. If you do this, you need to be very careful. A living oyster will tighten up their shell when being handled, but will pop open when cooked. It is important that you avoid eating any offering that does not open up when boiled as you could end up very sick from this seafood.

In turn, Shrimp should never be bought if they are not at a minimum on ice. Because of their genetics, they do tend to spoil very quickly. Make sure that they do not have a fishy smell and that their shell is still on them and you should not have too many problems eating these fish. Keep in mind that pre-cooked shrimp can still rot quickly as well. So use common sense when you are picking them up for a meal.