12/28/2020
If you love seafood but find buying seafood a daunting task than this post is for you.
So, let’s go over some tips that would help you in buying not only fresh but also the best seafood.
Firstly, always buy wild caught fish (sourced from lakes, oceans & rivers) instead of farm raised (raised in large tanks).
Types of Seafood:
🐟Fresh
🐟Frozen
🐟Live
No matter what type of seafood, there are certain aspects that you should pay attention to:
🐟Fresh Seafood:
💫When buying fresh seafood, the most important thing to keep in mind is the level of cleanliness, hygiene and odor of the store. If the store has a strong fishy smell, there is could be a possibility of rotten or spoil fish.
💫Make sure that the fresh fish / seafood is stored in a refrigerator or on a thick bed of ice
💫Fish should smell fresh – mild scent
The flesh should feel fresh to the touch and not slimy
💫If buying whole fish check the eyes, they should be bright, bulging eyes
💫Scales should be bright and vibrant
💫The best way to gauge the freshness of the fish is to check the gills. Freshly caught fish have bright red gills, that darken over time.
🐟Frozen Seafood:
💫Frozen fish should be sealed in airtight, moisture proof packaging
💫When reading the label know the difference between FAS (Frozen at Sea) & IQF (Individually quick frozen)
🐟FAS fish may be frozen whole for later thawing and reprocessing on a factory ship or at a plant ashore, or they can be landed, filleted and frozen aboard the same vessel.
🐟IQF fish fillets are all processed and frozen within hours of catch to maintain ideal freshness and the highest quality
💫If buying frozen, pick from the bottom or back of the refrigerator as it may have not been exposed to varying temperatures
💫To avoid contamination, make sure to keep it in an ice packed cooler when transporting it home
I hope you find this information helpful. Do you buy frozen, fresh or live seafood?
Watch this space for my next post on which fish are good for you and which ones to avoid.
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