To determine if a fish is fresh, the key is to examine its body surface and gills. 1. Inspect the eyes: Fresh fish have plump, protruding eyes with intact, transparent, and clear membranes. Unfresh fish typically have bloodshot membranes and non-protruding eyeballs. 2. Feel the body: The surface should be fresh, free of injuries, deformities, or unusual mucus.Scales should be tightly packed, the belly intact, and the eyes free of cloudiness. Lift the gills to inspect: fresh gills appear bright red. If gills have turned pale and are covered in mucus, the fish has been dead for a long time. 3. Examine the belly: Fresh fish have no abnormal bulges.
4. Press the flesh. Fresh fish will spring back immediately without indentation. If the flesh stays dented, it's stale.
5. Smell it. Fish naturally have a fishy odor, but rotten fish smell distinctly different. Careful sniffing can reveal freshness.
Crabs
>1. Observe if the crab can climb stairs. Those scuttling upward vigorously are robust.
2. Inspect leg hairs. Abundant, stiff hairs indicate strong, meaty legs; sparse or soft hairs suggest weakness and lack of meat.
3. Assess vitality by flipping the crab over. If it flips back swiftly, it's very healthy; inability to do so indicates poor vitality.
4. Check the firmness of the top abdominal shell near the crab's belly button. Press it with your thumb—a hard spot indicates plump meat.
5. Press the last joint of the crab's leg. A hard joint means plump meat; a soft one means little meat.
Finally, weigh them. If two crabs are the same size, hold them in your hand—the heavier one has more meat.
Clams and other shellfish
1. Check the water. Vendors typically keep them in water. If the water is murky with lots of sediment, they're not fresh. Clear water usually indicates freshness.
2. Consider size.Larger ones tend to have thicker, chewier meat; smaller ones contain fewer impurities. Third, when selecting, examine each individually. Ensure the tongue is extended and retracts when gently prodded—this indicates freshness. Shells that remain open after shaking are not fresh.
Shrimp
1. Fresh shrimp exhibit no darkening on the body surface or abdominal appendages, no redness on the head or outer shell, and the head and carapace remain firmly attached to the flesh.
2. When scooping live shrimp from water with a net, those swimming most vigorously are the healthiest and freshest;
3. Inspect color: Shrimp with hard, glossy shells tend to have more flavorful meat.
4. Check shell-to-muscle tightness: Fresh shrimp have a very firm connection between shell and flesh, making it difficult to peel by hand. Stale shrimp peel easily.
5. Observe quietly: Fresh shrimp occasionally release bubbles, indicating normal respiration.
6. Smell the aroma: Shrimp possess a natural briny scent. A stronger briny odor indicates greater freshness, but avoid any musty or rotten smell, as this signifies spoilage.
Abalone
Abalone that clings to the glass tank wall is relatively fresh. Touch the abalone's flesh—if it feels soft and moves, it indicates the abalone is alive.
Scallops
Choose scallops with uniformly colored, glossy shells and consistent size. If submerged, their shells should open and close rhythmically. If out of water, gently tap the shell—an immediate closure indicates freshness.
Mantis Shrimp
1. Selecting mantis shrimp follows the same principle as choosing live shrimp: observe their swimming speed and frequency in water. Faster speed and higher frequency indicate greater freshness;
2. Next, examine the dark line along the mantis shrimp's back. A deeper black line signifies higher roe content. Female mantis shrimp with roe reportedly have a white spot in the middle of their tail;
3. Squeeze the head—the firmer, the better. 4. Inspect the gills on the abdomen; whiter gills indicate greater freshness. 5. Consider weight—for the same size, heavier is preferable. Squid 1. First, examine the color. Fresh squid is pinkish, glossy, and semi-translucent, while stale squid appears dull with a moldy reddish hue on the back.
2. Press the membrane on its back with your fingers. Fresh squid will resist peeling, while easily detached membranes indicate staleness;
3. Assess the firmness of its head and body—similar to shrimp, firmer texture signifies freshness;
4. Smell it. Unfresh squid emits a distinct odor detectable upon sniffing.
Jellyfish Skin
1. First, examine the color. White, milky white, or pale yellow indicates good quality, while inferior jellyfish skin appears dark;
2. Assess its chewiness. This is typically discernible only after purchasing and preparing it at home. After washing, taste a small piece. A firm, springy texture indicates top quality, while a plastic-like feel signifies poor quality;
Third, examine the shape. Select intact sheets without tears in the center.
Seaweed
First, check the color. Fresh seaweed typically has a unique sheen, while stale or poor-quality seaweed appears dull or even blackened.
Second, touch and pull. Some unscrupulous vendors display seaweed that looks centuries old. Poor-quality kelp will leave an unknown slime on your hands when touched. Good kelp has resilience—it should resist gentle pulling, while kelp that snaps easily is inferior or low-grade.
Third, check for integrity. When buying kelp, remember to open it and inspect for damage or small holes. Choose kelp without such defects.
5. Check the powder. Kelp has a distinctive powdery coating. More powder indicates better quality. If there is little or no powder, it may be old kelp and should be avoided.
Tips for Eating Seafood
Avoid consuming any black or dark green parts in seafood.
Take scallops as an example: the black sections are digestive organs, gonads, and other internal parts containing leftover feed residue—best left uneaten. Additionally, the outer edges of scallops may carry foreign particles absorbed during filtration. It's advisable to remove these before consumption.
Seafood Eating Order
When faced with a variety of seafood, start with fish, then move to crustaceans like crab, lobster, mantis shrimp, and shrimp. Next, enjoy cephalopods such as octopus and squid. Save oysters for last. Otherwise, the freshness order gets reversed. Even the most delicious seafood eaten later will pale in comparison to the fresher options consumed earlier, leaving you with a bland taste.
Pairing Seafood with Lemon for Sterilization and Odor Removal
Many enjoy garlic with seafood for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. However, another ingredient complements seafood not only by sterilizing but also by enhancing freshness and eliminating fishy odors: lemon.
Lemon's tartness and distinctive fruity aroma neutralize the fishy or gamey odors of seafood while tenderizing the flesh. In Western cuisine, lemon is commonly used in cold dishes and pickled foods. To eliminate off-flavors in cooking oil, simply add a few drops of lemon juice.
Seasonal shellfish offer exceptional flavor, with multiple scientific methods for purging sand
A common challenge with purchased shellfish is achieving thorough sand purging.
First, rinse the clams. Then place them in a mesh bag and submerge in a basin of water deep enough to cover them completely.Place a strainer rack in the center of the basin. Suspended above the water, the clams remain elevated from the basin floor, preventing them from re-ingesting expelled sand. This allows the sand to settle at the bottom. Typically, change the water three times over half a day; each time, you'll notice a layer of fine sand at the basin's base.
You may also add a moderate amount of sea salt to the water, approximating seawater concentration. This usually completes the sand-spitting process within about half a day. Additionally, adding a few drops of sesame oil or placing a few rusty nails in the water can accelerate the sand-spitting process.
Storing Leftover Clams
The best method is to boil them in fresh water, then refrigerate them in the same broth. When ready to eat again, simply reheat them. This method preserves their freshness and tenderness for up to one or two days.
Extending the Shelf Life of Purchased Seafood