{"id":4156,"date":"2014-12-03T12:43:31","date_gmt":"2014-12-03T17:43:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/?page_id=4156"},"modified":"2024-08-28T15:06:05","modified_gmt":"2024-08-28T19:06:05","slug":"in-from-the-cold-fresh-vs-frozen-seafood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/in-from-the-cold-fresh-vs-frozen-seafood\/","title":{"rendered":"IN FROM THE COLD: Fresh vs. Frozen Seafood"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n<p><em>This article was published in the Holiday 2014 issue of <\/em>Coastwatch<em>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s likely that at this time of year, you can only find frozen North Carolina shrimp. But don\u2019t let that deter you from attempting shrimp recipes this holiday season, including the parchment-wrapped shrimp recipe featured in this section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fresh can mean many things \u2014 and can include frozen seafood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many consumers reject frozen seafood, believing that these products are inferior to more recent catch. In reality, as long as it is properly handled at harvest, during processing and at home, frozen seafood can equal \u2014 or even surpass \u2014 the quality of unfrozen seafood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the quality of most frozen seafood matches that of fish harvested straight out of the ocean. Fresh catches can be processed and swiftly frozen right onboard a properly equipped harvest vessel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Temperature control is the most effective way of limiting spoilage caused by bacteria. Maintaining the temperature of unfrozen seafood as close to 32 F as possible with ice, refrigeration or a combination of the two is a practical way of extending the quality of seafood for several days. Freezing seafood and storing it below 0 F, however, will allow the seafood to keep for several months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also, freezing method matters. Common commercial methods, such as air- blast freezing, freeze the seafood quickly while preserving its texture and eating quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Follow NOAA\u2019s recommendations when purchasing frozen seafood:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Whole fish should be free of surface ice crystals with no discoloration.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fillets should be solidly frozen with no signs of frost or ice particles inside the package.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There should be no evidence of dry or papery edges on seafood or signs of discoloration, such as the fading of red or pink flesh.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Avoid open, torn or crushed edges on packages.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Don\u2019t buy packages that are above the frost line in a retailer\u2019s display freezer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>At home, thaw seafood when you are ready to cook it. Place it overnight in your refrigerator, making sure the temperature is no higher than 41 F. Do not try to accelerate thawing by holding seafood at room temperature or placing it in warm water. You risk damaging your seafood\u2019s flavor and texture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, you can determine the quality of fresh or thawed seafood by touch, sight and smell. To learn the characteristics of seafood, review North Carolina Sea Grant\u2019s <em>Guide to Selecting North Carolina Seafood<\/em> at <a title=\"NC Sea Grant Quality Counts poster\" href=\"http:\/\/go.ncsu.edu\/NCSG_quality_counts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">go.ncsu.edu\/NCSG_quality_counts<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Useful Links<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Choosing Quality, FishWatch<\/em>: www.fishwatch.gov\/buying_seafood\/choosing_quality.htm.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Questions &amp; Answers\u2014Fresh Seafood vs. Frozen Seafood: How to Purchase Seafood<\/em>: <a title=\"Questions &amp; Answers\u2014Fresh Seafood vs. Frozen Seafood: How to Purchase Seafood\" href=\"http:\/\/whatscookingamerica.net\/Q-A\/Fish.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">whatscookingamerica.net\/Q-A\/Fish.htm<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>For contact information and reprint requests, visit <a title=\"Contact\" href=\"http:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/contact\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/contact\/<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s likely that at this time of year, you can only find frozen North Carolina shrimp. But don\u2019t let that deter you from attempting shrimp recipes this holiday season, including the parchment-wrapped shrimp recipe featured in this section.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4218,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"views\/single-immersive.blade.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ncst_custom_author":"Barry Nash","ncst_show_custom_author":true,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/default-immersive-post-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"backgroundColor\":\"custombg_one\",\"caption\":\"Red arrow-shaped sign pointing way to Seafood Market\",\"displayCategoryID\":683,\"showAuthor\":true,\"showDate\":true,\"showFeaturedVideo\":false}","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","ncst_content_audit_display":false,"ncst_backToTopFlag":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[663,683,595],"tags":[],"_ncst_magazine_issue":[1464],"class_list":["post-4156","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-663","category-holiday-2014","category-seafood"],"displayCategory":{"term_id":683,"name":"Holiday 2014","slug":"holiday-2014","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":684,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":663,"count":16,"filter":"raw"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.8 - 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