SHRIMP! Need Help ~

[Angelle]

I am having a dinner party and will be serving a shrimp dish.

I will need about 8 pounds shrimp med/large size.

The butcher has shrimp on ice that was "previously" frozen.

How long can I keep them and can I re~freeze them once I bring them home?

I will use the shells for a stock, but I do not want to actually cook the shrimp until the next day.

Any advice from all of you wondeful cooks out there!

TIA

 

[GotGarlic]

Hi, Angelle. Can you get frozen shrimp, rather than thawed? I would not recommend re-freezing thawed shrimp, but unless the place you buy it from buys it fresh off the boat every morning, just about all fish and shellfish is frozen either at sea or at the dock.

You can buy frozen shrimp in advance, thaw the day you want to shell them, then cook them the next day. Or, you can buy the butcher's thawed shrimp, shell them that day, and cook them the next day. They will keep fine for a day, even two, but keep them very cold as much as possible. HTH.

 

[Andy M.]

I agree with GG. You have no idea how long the shrimp has been thawed at the butcher shop. Buy the frozen and go from there.

 

[BreezyCooking]

Unless you're buying live (or recently live) head-on shrimp, all shrimp at the market has already been frozen. Don't re-freeze it.

 

[pacanis]

Yep. What the others have said.
Look at the small print. You will typically see it advertised as "fresh" but the smallprint says; previously frozen. So it isn't OK to refreeze unless you cook it.
I always buy the frozen stuff. Even if you don't see any at the counter, they usually have it around somewhere. Then I thaw it when I know I am going to use it up.
For next time

 

[elaine l]

I always buy frozen since we don't really ever get fresh here, just previously frozen.

 

[JohnL]

Hi Angelle,
As the others have said, don't try to re-freeze. But if you buy them on day one and shell them for stock, I don't think that you would have a problem if you cooked them the following day. I usually put them in bowl, cover with plastic wrap, put that bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice and then put that bowl into the refridgerator. Your best bet though is to ask your butcher when the shrimp was thawed. The fresher, the better!

 

[Robo410]

what does re-freezing do?? it turns the shrimp mushy. buy frozen or very near the day of use.

 

[Angelle]

THANKS everyone!

I got it! What pals

I will be taking all of your advice!

This is really cool

 

[BrazenAmateur]

Yeah, re-freezing previously frozen seafood is a bad, bad idea. This is why most thawed seafood at grocery stores says "previously frozen" on it, to save people the mistake.

 

[Jeekinz]

Hi Angelle,
As the others have said, don't try to re-freeze. But if you buy them on day one and shell them for stock, I don't think that you would have a problem if you cooked them the following day. I usually put them in bowl, cover with plastic wrap, put that bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice and then put that bowl into the refridgerator. Your best bet though is to ask your butcher when the shrimp was thawed. The fresher, the better!

That's what I would do.

I also recently started buying frozen American shrimp rather than what the supermarket carries in the case. The taste and texture are great, plus I just leave the bag in the freezer and use what I need. They defrost in no time at all in a bowl full of cold water.

 

[JohnL]

That's what I would do.

I also recently started buying frozen American shrimp rather than what the supermarket carries in the case. The taste and texture are great, plus I just leave the bag in the freezer and use what I need. They defrost in no time at all in a bowl full of cold water.

That's cool Jeeks,
All of the IQF shrimp that I've found here in my neck of Md. are farm raised foriegn import. I'd love to get bags of IQF gulf shrimp. They're so convenient. Hopefully it won't take long for them to show up here.