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How to Tell if Seafood is Fresh

Just how fresh is seafood’? Well, to the untrained eye [and by extension, taste buds], any seafood that has spent a few hours in the refrigerator may appear fresh.

First Things First

Unless you had literally accompanied the fisherman into waters or actually caught the fish yourself, you might face quite a few challenges when it comes to identification of the freshness of the seafood. Here is a look at how to tell if your seafood is fresh.

For already-cooked seafood, you can easily find out the freshness of the seafood with the help of your taste buds. Seafood, which includes fish and shellfish, are rich in omega 3 fatty acids and many other nutrition factors, but your ability to take advantage of such nutritional benefits squarely depends on the freshness of the seafood.

The following are the 4 ways you can tell if seafood is fresh

Appearance: Observe the eyes of the fish. At the very least, ensure it appears clear, shiny and bulging. If the eyes are sunken into the head, then chances are the fish is not fresh. Pale eyes with cloudiness is also another sign of old fish. Also on appearance, remember the gills of the fish should be in light or dark red color and slightly wet but shouldn’t be dry or slimy. Overall, the fish should glow but shouldn’t appear dull.
Touch and Feel: The seafood should be rigid and bounce back on touch. The scales should be tightly attached to the surface of the skin. Remember that loosened scale and cracked skins are signs that the seafood is in its rotting stage.
Smell: Fresh seafood, especially fish, have a mild smell and do not stink your kitchen or house much. Fish that lacks freshness has strong fishy smell that’s intolerable, due to the release of an organic compound called trimethylamine. A fresh fish has a natural and pleasant smell but by and large, it depends upon the sea where the fish has been caught.
Other Signs: There are other signs to look out for, such as a strong pungent odor and a spongy texture. Also, skin paleness or discoloration, as well as yellow slimy edges and black moist are clear warning signs that the seafood is not fresh.

Also Remember…..

Apart from the popular fishes, seafood also includes shellfish. They are often sold alive or frozen, and you need to identify them by tapping the shell (clams & mussels).

While doing so, it should close tighter. Remember that dead shells do not open when they are cooked. The shell of the shrimp is meant to protect it, so always choose the frozen and dried forms and check for the rigidness before buying. Likewise, squid and octopus have to be bought frozen.

February 18, 2019 0 comment

Cooking Seafood

Safety Tips for Cooking Seafood at Home

written by Elijah Horton

Seafood is considered to be the most nutritious meals by health experts, this is due to their high concentration of vitamins, Omega fatty acids, and the protein nutrients. However, if they are not properly handled and stored their consumption may be a risk. Some of the problems that may arise as a result of poor handling and storage of seafood include; suffering from food poisoning as a result of poor temperature control and cross-contamination. Risk of getting in contact with toxins which are associated with waters where fish lives is also a concern.

When cooking your seafood at home you might consider taking these safety measures to avoid any harm.

Be Selective

First, you must be very selective when buying seafood in that, you should buy refrigerated fresh seafood or those that are in thick bed of not melting fresh ice. Make sure that the smell of the seafood you buy is fresh and mild and not sour. A similar smell to that of ammonia is a clear indication of spoilt seafood and therefore not good to be eaten. If the package of the frozen seafood is open or torn on its edges then you should avoid it. A package with signs of ice crystals means that the seafood is refrozen hence you should avoid it.

Handle it Carefully

Secondly, seafood is very sensitive and therefore it should be stored and handled properly. If you are planning to eat your food within two days after buying it , then you should store it in the refrigerator. Otherwise, consider storing it in a freezer while tightly wrapped in a plastic. While in the refrigerator, ensure that raw seafood does not mix with cooked food by separating them. Using warm water and soap, you should wash your hands right after and before handling any raw seafood. You must wash all the kitchen appliances that have come into contact with the raw seafood such as the cutting boards, dishes, and countertops.

Proper Cooking

Lastly, you should cook your seafood to 145C degrees internal temperature and the meat will be ready when it turns opaque or pearly and you should easily separate it with a fork. When serving, you should keep the hot seafood hot and the cold food cold. The leftovers should be refrigerated within two hours of cooking and the uneaten leftovers should be thrown away after three to four days.

After observing all those safety tips , then you will be good to go in preparing that food from the sea for your family with confidence.

February 16, 2019 0 comment