How to Store and Care for Fresh Seafood
Fresh seafood can be a wonderful option for cooking at home, however, many people do not know how to properly store or care for their seafood to ensure optimal freshness and food safety. At Farm-2-Market, we ensure your seafood is delivered at the peak of freshness and arrives at your doorstep in safe packaging.
If you are planning on purchasing fresh seafood, consider the following tips for ensuring the highest quality and freshness.
Tips for Storing and Caring for Fresh Seafood
Prepare whole fish before refrigeration
Are you planning on purchasing a whole fish from a fresh seafood market near you? Unlike pre-portioned fillets, whole fish must be cleaned and gutted before it is refrigerated. Washing the fish under cold water and patting it dry will remove any potentially harmful bacteria from the skin. Additionally, gutting the fish will allow it to stay fresh for longer as the guts tend to decay rapidly inside the body. If you are inexperienced in gutting fish, we offer excellent whole gutted fish options such as our striped bass. Fish should be consumed as quickly as possible and stored in a consistently cold area such as a drawer near the back of your refrigerator.
Select freezer-appropriate containers
While fresh seafood will always guarantee the best flavor, it is sometimes necessary to store your seafood in the freezer. For the best results, we recommend freezing your seafood in a container with minimal air such as a freezer bag or a vacuum-sealed package. Seafood should always be thawed in the refrigerator before cooking and should not be frozen for more than six months.
Do not kill your lobsters
The key to a delicious lobster recipe is to ensure you do not kill the lobsters during refrigeration. Fresh lobsters should be refrigerated immediately upon purchase and covered in a damp material such as seaweed or wet paper towels. Two common mistakes that are made upon receiving live lobsters are placing them on ice or refrigerating them in tight containers, which suffocate the crustaceans. Lobster and other fresh shellfish should be consumed within one day of purchasing. Shellfish such as oysters, clams, and mussels should be thrown away immediately if shells are broken or permanently opened.
Shop Farm-2-Market Today!
Have you ever wondered, “where can I buy fresh seafood near me?” Farm-2-Market delivers fresh seafood straight to your door from incredible sources across North America. Contact us today for more information!