"Putting up" shrimp?

[AudreyKate]

I was just reading a story set in Louisiana, in which one of the characters refers to "putting up the shrimp." Anyone have any idea what this refers to? Are they actually canning shrimp?

Thanks,
Audrey

 

[Andy M.]

Never heard of that. I'd be tempted to freeze them if I was in a situation where I had actual FRESH shrimp.

 

[mish]

I was just reading a story set in Louisiana, in which one of the characters refers to "putting up the shrimp." Anyone have any idea what this refers to? Are they actually canning shrimp?

Thanks,
Audrey

Since it's a story set in Louisiana, I'm guessing people familiar with Southern cooking could give you a more accurate answer. Not having read the story, the author might be referring to almost anything.

 

[JohnL]

Hi AK,
I've never quite heard of that, but I do seem to recall a dish that Paula Deane did on the FN called pickled shrimp. It's been a while, but I think she did put them up in mason jars.
John.

 

[jennyema]

I was thinking the same thing as John.

Here is Paula Deen's recipe. I've made it and it was quite good.

 

[phinz]

When I was a kid we used to go down to the Texas City Dikes and buy a cooler full of shrimp and other bycatch from the shrimp boats. Typically this was 50 lbs. or so of shrimp, flounder, squid, et cetera. $50.

We brought them home and had a heading/peeling assembly line. We would reserve about 20 or so lbs of it for eating that day and would freeze the rest. My grandmother would put them in ziploc bags, fill with water and then put them in the freezer. We had shrimp for the rest of the season that way. We would do this at the beginning and end of each season.

We'd fry the reserved poundage by dredging them in an egg/milk mixture, then rolling them in crushed Ritz crackers then deep frying until golden. Mmmmmmmmmmmm... With that and some sweet tea, potato salad and Grandmommy's green bean casserole we were good to go.

 

[Constance]

Great minds run in the same channel...the same thought came to my mind. They sure did look good!

 

[BreezyCooking]

Could they have been talking about "Potted Shrimp"? While I know that current recipes for Potted Shrimp are meant for fairly immediate use as an appetizer, I do believe it was originally a way of preserving cooked shrimp for awhile under minimal refrigeration, much in the way of goose & duck confit.

 

[Dove]

My husbands family in North Carolina would say "I put up xx pints or quarts of green beans today. Meaning they canned that many jars. They use to can balls of fresh homemade sausage in jars..no freezers back then. They would go to the garden for a mess of green beans..(just enough for a meal.)

In Florida when we would catch Laaarge (really big shrimp) out of the St. John's River we would clean them and put them in halg gallon milk cartons, fill with water and freeze.

 

[Michael in FtW]

I can only think of 3 meanings for "puttin' up" here in the South:

1. Preserving food by one method or another. Most people naturally think of canning something first. But, it could also refer to dehygration, salt packing/brining, pickeling, or cold smoking. I know my grandmother used to talk about her dad "puttin' up" hams and bacon in the fall during hog slaugher, and she and her sister would "put up" tin buckets of lard. It could also mean puttin' some things that would survive down in the root cellar for use during the winter (potatoes, onions, etc.).

2. To place something in it's proper place. I was forever being reminded by Mom to "put up" my shoes ... and other stuff. One of the jobs I had when Mom went grocery shopping was to "put up" the groceries.

3. Tolerance or forbearance - which usually was the evident meaning by the inclusion of the word "with". Like in, "puttin' up with Yankees".

 

[marmalady]

"Putting up" shrimp, or other seafood, is often used here in Charleston for freezing the shrimp. Either by just washing and packing in ziplocks or the milk carton method, and covering w/water, or by heading them first, then packing for freezing. Some folks also add about a tsp. of salt to the water.

I've made pickled shrimp, but I'm not sure you could put this up for long term storage with just a hot water bath - I think you'd need a pressure canner. Just did a quick google, and couldn't find anything specific. I'm just not sure if the vinegar used in the pickling process would be enough acid to go ahead with the hot-water canning method.

Paula's recipe mentioned above is wonderful, I can vouch for it; but I think she only says the pickled shrimp will store for a few days in the fridge, not as a 'long term' pantry item.

 

[Claire]

Having spent a fair amount of time in Cajun country, it could also refer to making any number of shrimp-based dishes to freeze or can -- sauces, soups, rice dishes are myriad and most freeze quite well and also can be canned.

 

[jmjslr]

I do not live in Louisiana any more but, I know this term. My frame of reference is from south central Louisiana (where there were no shrimp) and from New Orleans (where shrimp is abundant).

To me, it means putting the shrimp into a sinkful of cold water and then removing it. This was "washing" the shrimp. I think some people put salt in the water to make the live shrimp purge. Cannot remember if that was just crawfish or shrimp as well. Oops, 1st you prepared the 1/2 gallon empty and cleaned milk cartons. Some people cut off the top triangle of the carton to make stackable rectangles. Back to the shrimp. Some people left the heads on and some removed the heads but the shell was always left on. You'd fill the empty milk carton 1/2 to 2/3 full of the shrimp and then pour in water to cover the shrimp. Freeze.

Basically, freeze cleaned shrimp in water. I remember it taking hours.

Probably what the novel is inferring is that the family lives near the Gulf of Mexico and that they are frugal, plan ahead, pay attention to "The Season", and have a large chest freezer in addition to the regular kitchen 'ice box'. It sort of depends on what decade the author is talking about. Things are very different today.

What is the title of your book?

 

[expatgirl]

I agree with Dove's husband. I lived in Cajun Country (Lafayette, Louisiana) for 8 years and putting up shrimp meant freezing it in water which upon defrosting made the shrimp taste very fresh. To do this method you put the unpeeled shrimp in a container, cover with water--leaving about a 2 inch space at the top for frozen water expansion) and seal with a airtight lid cover. I have also used heavy duty freezer ziploc bags for this and squeezing out the extra air It's really a great way to keep shrimp frozen for longer periods of time and still taste very fresh when defrosted.

 

[phinz]

I agree with Dove's husband.

What am I? Chopped liver?