Buying shrimp in the shell. The shells make a really great quick seafood broth. They are not a problem, they are a bonus. Don't throw them away. If you are not going to use them immediately, refreeze them. They can be thrown into the boiling water you are making the broth with right from the freezer.
0:56 freezer burn is not thaw and refreeze. It is dehydration of part of the surface that's not airtight, basically by a freeze-dry process. If the fish is vacuum packed properly with no air space inside, you don't get freezer burn. For most processed seafood such as fish fillets, the frozen whole fish from the ship is transported to a land-based factory, thawed and processed, then refreeze and pack in individual bags. And often a lot of glaze (ice), 5% to >25%, is added to the surface to make it heavier so they can sell it for more.
I am just glad I get the beer battered bulk yellow bag with real draft beer batter. Oddily enough it's one of the better ones out there and believe me I tried just about all of them even at Whole Foods. Weird I know that a such a standard brand be so so good for this!
Good tips here, especially buying shrimp with the shell on and reading the ingredients list. I just checked my ez peel shrimp and it contains salt, sodium and tripolyphosphate! I'll beware of that next time. Thanks Jack!
Frozen fish is no longer labeled with origin. They probably snuck a repeal of consumer protections laws into a corrupt bill with a sappy positive name.
@@retiredump7038 You have to look around a bit, but they’re out there. I found some at two local supermarket chains here in the northeast under their “healthy” brand label (vs the regular store brand). Costco’s shrimp in the freezer section also only have some salt added. Also recently went to Lidl and was surprised to see USA-caught Gulf Coast shrimp with nothing else added.
Ever since I started looking, I haven't found a single bag without it! I still like 'em but I wanna do a side-by-size comparison. I'll check Wegman's and report back. Someone above mentioned Lidl, of all places. I'll check there too!
@@ndzapruder Yeah I have no idea if the Lidl shrimp was just like a seasonal or temporary or regional sale item or if they always had it. Was surprised to see it at a discount store like that.
Good video. However Jack I'm surprised you didn't mention to never thaw out frozen fish in vacuum bags without first putting a small hole in the bag. You can use a pin or needle, doesn't need to be big. So here's the reason. The fish will of course first thaw out on the exterior of the fish. With no pin hole there will still be a vacuum. That vacuum will start to crush that flesh making it soft and mushy. So by placing a small hole in the bag you release the pressure allowing the flesh to thaw out and stay firm. Everyone have a great day 🌤 😊 👍🐟
@@elizabethadao7279 no. If the bag is already contaminated with botulism will not help. Nope,it's for quality food texture. We fishermen learned this many years before there were home vacuum machines. When you buy frozen herring for bait we learned to pin the vacuum package then let thaw. If you didn't the bait would be mushy and quickly fall apart when using. It didn't take long for us to realize this would help keep our salmon firm when home vacuum machines became available. I can vacuum pack and freeze salmon a entire year and you would think it was fresh caught that day. Last thing. I do not do long term freezes in up right freezers,only chest freezers. The cold stays in a chest freezer when opened. Up right freezers dump all their cold air everytime. This reduces the quality of the food very quickly. Anyway, have a great day 🌤. Fyi just in case. Do not " pin" the package in the freezer. Only when you pull it out to thaw. Again, have a great day.
When buying shrimp, it also helps to know the sizing system which tells you approximately how many shrimp you'll get per pound. Tiny shrimp will be labeled 61/70 which means 61-70 shrimp per pound. I usually go for 26/30 if I'm doing scampi and 16/20 for a shrimp cocktail...unless I'm trying to impress someone, then I'll go for 13/15 which are huge.
When I see the fish in the counter at the grocery store meat department I almost always notice that the price/description signage says "Previously Frozen". So they're getting the fish that are flash frozen on the boat, defrosting it at the store, and then marking it up to cover their handling costs and profit margin requirements. They're counting on folks not seeing or understanding that "Previously Frozen" signage. I'll just buy frozen except when fresh locally caught fish are available, thank you very much.
@@FleurPillager All the frozen fish I buy has country of origin. If it doesn't, or if it's one of the countries that are suspect, like many of the east Asian countries, I don't buy it.
@@houchi69 My point is the exact same one as in the video, which is don't waste your money paying more to buy the same product because that's what the defrosted fish in the grocery store meat counter is -- frozen fish defrosted and marked up. You have a word comprehension issue or something?
I’ve actually never looked at the ingredient list thinking shrimp was just shrimp. Thanks for the tips on the extra chemical ingredients, I’ll keep an eye out.
I regularly throw them in a tupperware full of cold water in the fridge. That way it's safe indefinitely (within reason), and thaw more quickly because of the much higher thermal conductivity of water vs air. Also uses way less water.
There is always going to be a water(ish) to air barrier, adding more water won't change that. On the other hand what does matter is the thermal mass and the surface area.
Spot-on tips. Also, check the country or origin and learn about farming vs. sustainable wild caught seafood. Farming can have serious environmental impacts and Seafood Watch is a good source on sustainable wild caught seafood. I will also add that frozen sea scallops are a good option, too. Avoiding TPP applies to scallops, too.
Thank you, Jack, you have confirmed some of my own thoughts on this subject. You didn't mention scallops. I have heard enough on ATK to know that the same rules apply. Thanks for a great job of explaining...
Even though I live in Florida I buy my frozen seafood at Aldi. You can usually find U.S. caught shrimp of all sizes and the Sea Scallops are extremely good although they are getting expensive. Be sure and remove the small muscles on the side of each one. After this I will look for shell on shrimp and also the ingr. list. We cook ours in a skillet on a hot plate in the center of the table using fondue forks. Fun. They also have excellent salmon. I grill that in a pan on indirect heat with maple syrup poured over it. I use sugar maple chips or chunks on the charcoal for smoke.
Unless you're at a high end restaurant, most fish served are of the frozen variety, and the majority of shrimp around the country are frozen. Unless you eat on the bay, at the ocean, your chef travel's daily to the fish market, or you buy from the local fish market, you are likely eating frozen shrimp. And there's always the worry if fresh, are they really fresh? Best to just buy frozen, you won't taste a difference in most cases.
IN MY VIEW I bought my first frozen bag of seafood when the shrimp was on sale. My freezer now has a variety of seafood. This is SO convenient! I never go to the fresh seafood counter anymore. Your suggestions were great. I will look at my shrimp ingredients from now on to make sure it is only shrimp (salt is ok).
Nice informative video , if I could make a suggestion would be next time to include a brief example of freeze burn and explain a bit more in depth why you should avoid it.
Thank you for this I buy seafood A LOT, but I usually by raw peeled shrimp because it easier not to have to peel, but I will keep what you said in mind!THANK YOU!!!!👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Hi Jack, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, is used to make seafood look firm, smooth and glossy. Seafood packers may soak product in a bath of STPP to achieve this. Seafood soaked too long will absorb more water so you pay more because it weighs more. Product soaked with STPP will exude a milky white liquid as you cook it, and will shrink in size too. Thanks Jack, LG
That white liquid in salmon is albumin, a naturally occurring liquid protein that gets denatured when cooked. It’s actually present in all fish, but stands out more in contrast to salmon’s pink flesh. It’s generally more visible when fish is overcooked. Don’t believe everything you read in UA-cam comments. Do your research. STPP is used in some seafood processing but not all fish is treated with it.
We buy cod loins for fish and chips (Alton Brown) and fish stew (Grandma), tilapia, sole and flounder for stuffed fish (Chef John) and piccata (Pasquale Sciarappa from Osara Recipes), lobster tails for surf and turf hibachi style and thermidor (Rachel Ray), and shrimp for tempura, hibachi and chili prawns (Martin Yan). You're welcome! 😋😎😉
I just discovered this channel. All tips about buying frozen fish are spot on. When I had cable - too expensive now - I used to watch ATK on whyy... One of my favorite shows ever. Keep up the good work. Back when Giant was more hands on at the local level, whenever I saw fish "previously" frozen in the display case, I'd ask if they had any still frozen - Go back in the freezer and check! Unless I was cooking it that day, I'd buy the frozen or none at all.
ATK and Cook's Country should still be broadcast on your local PBS affiliate, for free. (And the WHYY coverage area is quite large.) If not, or you no longer have a television, I guess just come back here to YT!
Good info. I'm surprised you didn't mention the difference between wild-caught and farmed seafood, but maybe that seemed tangential. For thawing, I recommend unwrapping and then thawing in the fridge on a bed of ice in enclosed Tupperware. Takes about two days for a Salmon or Cod filet. Thawing while still in a vacuum bag can lead to soggy fish.
Location where the fish originated is something you should take into consideration, as well if it was farmed or wild caught. I've seen the festering pools in vietnam and china where much of the frozen fish comes from. Trust me, you don't want that.
I never buy seafood from china. I'm also nervous about other countries like India. I also never buy tilapia or basa. Only fish from the northern Atlantic or Pacific or just catch my own.
Amen! I was just going to say that. Under the lax USDA inspections over the past few decades, they've allowed some disgusting "fish products"to be sold to us. Avoid Swai fish and any other fish from China. It swims in sewage essentially. I've gotten very sick from fish from China.
Shrimp in shell is great. Sure it may take a while longer to shell yourself but use the shells to make a base for a really good shrimp scampi. America's test kitchen has THE best scampi recipe I've ever had and I put it over thin spaghetti or reg fettucine and it is fantastic!
My problem with frozen shrimp: they seemed to be puffed up with water, I assume under pressure. "Large" frozen shrimp shrink to half their size once you put them in a hot pan. Because I live on the coast, I buy my shrimp fresh off the trawler, head them, and freeze them myself. No packaged frozen shrimp for me.
TPP is a garbage ingredient to have added to your shrimp, scallops or other seafood. It primarily serves to help raw seafood retain moisture and look plump. If you take frozen seafood with TPP, and defrost it with a paper towel underneath it, you’ll see a pool of liquid that was mostly absorbed by your paper towel and that seafood will be noticeable skinnier. If you’re paying for these frozen items by the pound, you’re also paying for that liquid. It’s a bummer and as Jack mentioned, it also won’t taste great. I wish Jack showed what freezer burn looked like in a vacuum-sealed package. I’ve never seen it and wouldn’t know how to spot it.
I saw this video and decided to try the frozen salmon filets offered at a large popular supermarket chain in Connecticut, USA. I have always bought the fresh filets at the seafood counter. The first meal using the frozen salmon was awful. I generally cook this kind of fish in a covered pan with broth around it and it comes out very moist and tender but the thawed salmon filets were missing that tender texture. Today I put both a thawed filet and a fresh filet into an instant pot for a cook time of one minute with a fast pressure release. The fresh filet was what I expected and was excellent but the thawed filet was very dense in texture and not a pleasure to eat at all. The only reason that I ate it is that I refuse to waste food. So why the big disconnect between the advice in the video and the results?
Frozen salmon was on sale in my grocers freezer I was assured it was not farm raised. In my fridge I thawed 2 fillets for 24 hours, took the fillets out, leaning them into my sink to drain liquid before cooking, both fillets went from salmon pink to brown, this pink colored goo drained out of the fish! It was the most disgusting thing I'd ever seen and I can only imagine what that thick pink goo was. I took it back to my grocers and even the manager was horrified. Don't buy farm raised.
I was a butcher/fish retailer. All fish is frozen before it gets to you anyway (except fresh salmon), even if you buy it at 6 AM from an outdoor fish market 20 meters from the sea. So you should buy it frozen. The other thing: seafood in the wild often is living at a really cold ambient temperature. Like 45-50 degrees. Your refrigerator isn’t that far from the temperature that fish, and the bacteria they host, are used to. So fish in the refrigerator goes bad almost as fast as beef sitting on the counter. Keep it frozen until right before you cook it.
I lived in Alaska for most of my life and these are good tips, except the tilapia (i wouldnt serve it to my worst enemy) fresh or frozen. A lot of the times we were eating things from the ocean just minutes or a couple hours after they've been caught and that's the biggest thing I miss about not living up there anymore- fresh seafood. And again, never, ever, never, ever thaw fish in a microwave!
@@HennesseyNCigarzIt's farm-raised fish which means it's fed grains and soy. It doesn't have the wild waters in which to swim. SOME tilapia can have levels of dioxin. Dioxin is believed to contribute to cancer growth in humans and has a very long life once in your system (about a decade to fully leave a human system). That said, the poultry and meat most people buy is raised in similar conditions. Weigh your options and decide what you like, as with everything else in life.
Not sure about defrosting fish in the microwave, but you can make a really tasty poached filet straight from frozen in the microwave - fat, salt, aromatics, and something wet, like soy sauce or lemon juice, covered, cooked at 40% power for a few min depending on thickness (shout out Dave Chang).
Thank you for these tips. I used to live on the coast of England and my Mum would buy fresh fish caught that morning and cook for dinner. We ate fish Two to three times a week and it was amazing. Now I buy frozen fish and we have once a week. I had one of those fish box deliveries for a while but it was really expensive.
I just bought some frozen pollock fish fillets yesterday.😋..they're thawing in my fridge now for tonight ... I bought it soley because I could see the product through the clear packaging!😉which looked fresh and quality. 👍🏿Thanks for the good information Jack!
@@QIKWIA Aww, shucks, thanks! Gotta have humor in life to make the world your oyster...Otherwise, what's the porpoise? Okay, holy mackerel, that's enough, I better clam up before I start to flounder and make somebody eel... ; P
@@QIKWIA Thanks again, glad I could brighten your day, hope you have a great night there! The local Safeway here has frozen shrimp on sale, can't wait to try a garlic shrimp recipe on the 'Chef Jean Pierre' UA-cam channel I just discovered! Check him out, if you haven't already, he is great at teaching and is also pretty funny!
I buy frozen Tilapia and Cod from the grocery store all the time- and defrost it in the fridge even couple days before. Now I'm going to get the lobster tails and squid as well. And from a "health" perspective, they are a fantastic source of lean protein. So much better than protein powders and even better than chicken breasts.
I'm having a lot of trouble finding frozen shrimp that doesn't contain STPP. What would my next best option be? Go for the ones sitting behind the counter or just get the frozen ones with the STPP?
We have always made fish tacos with frozen tilapia. You do have to cook the fish for a couple minutes in a preheated pan and then flip before you can add taco seasoning to the filets, but it always works perfectly well and tastes exactly the same!
I totally agree - frozen is your best option for seafood. As a sports fisherman, I rarely buy fish. I used to get fresh Prawns direct from the fisherman. They have a freezer plate on the boat where they drop the Prawns on it and they are frozen solid within a minute, then packaged and put into the boats freezer until they get back to the dock to sell them. Prawns will start to go bad within 15 minutes of catching if they are not kept live or fast frozen.
Watch a documentary on the fishing ships if you have not yet - they are amazing. I never knew how much they could process the fish onboard. Frozen on the ship is going to be very fresh. The only reason I buy fresh fish is that I have a regular fishmonger that lets me know when my preferred fish come in. It is caught one day, and at my house the next (but I understand that not everyone lives on an island). 😎
Yet, the fishing industry loves to depict the romantic little sailor going out to fish like it was 1820. Sadly, fishing trawlers or GIANT KILLING MACHINES that are destroying all sea life with their reckless abandon. We are witnessing oceans that are dying.
I have bought frozen Shalon shrimp before and have no problem with them. I have never in my life bought a frozen fish that I was happy with. Based on what Jack says it may be that it’s very common to freeze improperly. Especially cod. When I thaw the fish is just full of water and it’s ridiculous. I wonder if it is because it has been thawed and then refrozen due to improper storage.
Something you overlooked is 'water glaze'. There are legal limits when it needs to be declared but this is often skirted. The producer will say it 'protects', the buyer only sees added weight through water, not fish.
I've tried the individually frozen cod. He was right, it didn't handle the freezing process well because it practically fell apart NO MATTER HOW I PREPARED IT. NEVER AGAIN, ( I didn't overcook them).
Atlantic cod always breaks up when cook whether it was fresh (chilled to 33 F and held at this temp) or frozen. This is the nature of cod. Now you are going to ask how I know ... I sell fish fresh and frozen.
Some cooked shrimp isn't all bad you just need to know what you are looking for and what you use it for like if you are going to service it as side dish with cocktail sauce then just thaw our or thaw out and dry before you put it in a sauce for pasta as you warm it up
i love when people think buying "fresh" unthawed seafood at the supermarket is fresher than buying frozen. it was all frozen at some point!! might as well thaw it yourself.
Somewhat off topic but what is the deal with packaged refrigerated fish from Walmart and Aldis with the long expiration dates? It stays fresh and I don’t see an irradiation symbol? Thanks for the great info!
Buy fish or shrimp in season. I'm in Texas and I only buy Wild Caught Texas Gulf Shrimp 16/20 frozen in season. Your Market thaws shrimp for sell but if you ask it is shipped frozen in 2 pound bags. Fresh local fish I have a wonderful friend who loves to fish and give to friends. I'm so lucky.
@@israelturner8079 true...so if i want to eat them "live" then thats where i wil purchase it live? Sorry i needed this talk to wrap my head around seafood. Now i dont have to be upset that i dont live on the east or west coadt!
When I had a subzero I had not freezer crystals. In top freezer of my refrigerator I get crystals. My sister said its because of the auto self clean feature. (?) Should I repack chicken and veggies?
Buying shrimp in the shell. The shells make a really great quick seafood broth. They are not a problem, they are a bonus. Don't throw them away. If you are not going to use them immediately, refreeze them. They can be thrown into the boiling water you are making the broth with right from the freezer.
Awesome I did not know that, gonna have to try that for my cats. :)
That’s so true! Easy and tasty.
0:56 freezer burn is not thaw and refreeze. It is dehydration of part of the surface that's not airtight, basically by a freeze-dry process. If the fish is vacuum packed properly with no air space inside, you don't get freezer burn.
For most processed seafood such as fish fillets, the frozen whole fish from the ship is transported to a land-based factory, thawed and processed, then refreeze and pack in individual bags. And often a lot of glaze (ice), 5% to >25%, is added to the surface to make it heavier so they can sell it for more.
I am just glad I get the beer battered bulk yellow bag with real draft beer batter. Oddily enough it's one of the better ones out there and believe me I tried just about all of them even at Whole Foods. Weird I know that a such a standard brand be so so good for this!
Good tips here, especially buying shrimp with the shell on and reading the ingredients list. I just checked my ez peel shrimp and it contains salt, sodium and tripolyphosphate! I'll beware of that next time. Thanks Jack!
I doubt you will ever find frozen shrimp in a regular grocery store without tripolyposphate.
Frozen fish is no longer labeled with origin. They probably snuck a repeal of consumer protections laws into a corrupt bill with a sappy positive name.
@@retiredump7038 You have to look around a bit, but they’re out there. I found some at two local supermarket chains here in the northeast under their “healthy” brand label (vs the regular store brand). Costco’s shrimp in the freezer section also only have some salt added. Also recently went to Lidl and was surprised to see USA-caught Gulf Coast shrimp with nothing else added.
Ever since I started looking, I haven't found a single bag without it! I still like 'em but I wanna do a side-by-size comparison. I'll check Wegman's and report back. Someone above mentioned Lidl, of all places. I'll check there too!
@@ndzapruder Yeah I have no idea if the Lidl shrimp was just like a seasonal or temporary or regional sale item or if they always had it. Was surprised to see it at a discount store like that.
Good video. However Jack I'm surprised you didn't mention to never thaw out frozen fish in vacuum bags without first putting a small hole in the bag. You can use a pin or needle, doesn't need to be big. So here's the reason. The fish will of course first thaw out on the exterior of the fish. With no pin hole there will still be a vacuum. That vacuum will start to crush that flesh making it soft and mushy. So by placing a small hole in the bag you release the pressure allowing the flesh to thaw out and stay firm. Everyone have a great day 🌤 😊 👍🐟
I thought the reason you’re supposed to pop the vacuum is because of botulism.
@@elizabethadao7279 no. If the bag is already contaminated with botulism will not help. Nope,it's for quality food texture. We fishermen learned this many years before there were home vacuum machines. When you buy frozen herring for bait we learned to pin the vacuum package then let thaw. If you didn't the bait would be mushy and quickly fall apart when using. It didn't take long for us to realize this would help keep our salmon firm when home vacuum machines became available. I can vacuum pack and freeze salmon a entire year and you would think it was fresh caught that day. Last thing. I do not do long term freezes in up right freezers,only chest freezers. The cold stays in a chest freezer when opened. Up right freezers dump all their cold air everytime. This reduces the quality of the food very quickly. Anyway, have a great day 🌤. Fyi just in case. Do not " pin" the package in the freezer. Only when you pull it out to thaw. Again, have a great day.
Thank you for the helpful tips!
@@brvdragonfly8521 Your welcome. Thanks
@@victorbenner539 Fantastic tips, much appreciated sir!
When buying shrimp, it also helps to know the sizing system which tells you approximately how many shrimp you'll get per pound. Tiny shrimp will be labeled 61/70 which means 61-70 shrimp per pound. I usually go for 26/30 if I'm doing scampi and 16/20 for a shrimp cocktail...unless I'm trying to impress someone, then I'll go for 13/15 which are huge.
I buy 3/2 for the first time I cook for my date. I want them to be afraid of the shrimp so that I seem safer and cuter in comparison lol
When I see the fish in the counter at the grocery store meat department I almost always notice that the price/description signage says "Previously Frozen". So they're getting the fish that are flash frozen on the boat, defrosting it at the store, and then marking it up to cover their handling costs and profit margin requirements. They're counting on folks not seeing or understanding that "Previously Frozen" signage. I'll just buy frozen except when fresh locally caught fish are available, thank you very much.
Recently I noticed that frozen fish isn't labeled with origin any more. Who knows where it comes from or what we are eating.
Right, because businesses don't need to account for labor and utility expenses.
Not sure what your point is.
@@FleurPillager choose another brand or store. Mine is always labeled.
@@FleurPillager All the frozen fish I buy has country of origin. If it doesn't, or if it's one of the countries that are suspect, like many of the east Asian countries, I don't buy it.
@@houchi69 My point is the exact same one as in the video, which is don't waste your money paying more to buy the same product because that's what the defrosted fish in the grocery store meat counter is -- frozen fish defrosted and marked up. You have a word comprehension issue or something?
I’ve actually never looked at the ingredient list thinking shrimp was just shrimp. Thanks for the tips on the extra chemical ingredients, I’ll keep an eye out.
Agree with that; I just went to the freezer to check myself !
I regularly throw them in a tupperware full of cold water in the fridge. That way it's safe indefinitely (within reason), and thaw more quickly because of the much higher thermal conductivity of water vs air. Also uses way less water.
There is always going to be a water(ish) to air barrier, adding more water won't change that. On the other hand what does matter is the thermal mass and the surface area.
Very important and healthy information . Thank you for sharing with us . Love American Test Kitchen .
Spot-on tips. Also, check the country or origin and learn about farming vs. sustainable wild caught seafood. Farming can have serious environmental impacts and Seafood Watch is a good source on sustainable wild caught seafood. I will also add that frozen sea scallops are a good option, too. Avoiding TPP applies to scallops, too.
I've always loved Jack. Thank you for great information.
Thank you for your kindness. I very much needed this.
Thank you, Jack, you have confirmed some of my own thoughts on this subject. You didn't mention scallops. I have heard enough on ATK to know that the same rules apply. Thanks for a great job of explaining...
Love this dude so happy and informative
Love the channel in general
A great staple for winter months. Always have it on hand. Your tips were great
Such efficient and clear, educational information by the speaker, kudos! Thank you!
Love these little snippets
Even though I live in Florida I buy my frozen seafood at Aldi. You can usually find U.S. caught shrimp of all sizes and the Sea Scallops are extremely good although they are getting expensive. Be sure and remove the small muscles on the side of each one. After this I will look for shell on shrimp and also the ingr. list. We cook ours in a skillet on a hot plate in the center of the table using fondue forks. Fun. They also have excellent salmon. I grill that in a pan on indirect heat with maple syrup poured over it. I use sugar maple chips or chunks on the charcoal for smoke.
Excellent video! Many thx
Excellent excellent information, thank you ATK! ...and thank you Jack, you guys ROCK!
Thank you for sharing such an amazing video very helpful I learned something new today. I love your program Is my favorite TV program
Thank you . Make total sense!
Unless you're at a high end restaurant, most fish served are of the frozen variety, and the majority of shrimp around the country are frozen. Unless you eat on the bay, at the ocean, your chef travel's daily to the fish market, or you buy from the local fish market, you are likely eating frozen shrimp. And there's always the worry if fresh, are they really fresh? Best to just buy frozen, you won't taste a difference in most cases.
IN MY VIEW
I bought my first frozen bag of seafood when the shrimp was on sale. My freezer now has a variety of seafood. This is SO convenient! I never go to the fresh seafood counter anymore. Your suggestions were great. I will look at my shrimp ingredients from now on to make sure it is only shrimp (salt is ok).
Best tip so far, given current prices of seafood at the grocery! Brilliant!
Thanks a lot for the great tips! 👏🏻👏🏻
Thanks for explaining what freezer burn is. I often wondered why frozen foods developed frost and ended up being dry.
Great advice! Thank You!
A much appreciated video.
Great teaching, this was needed
I totally agree with Mr. Bishop !
Great tips ; Thank you ! ❤
Thanks for the advice.
Nice informative video , if I could make a suggestion would be next time to include a brief example of freeze burn and explain a bit more in depth why you should avoid it.
Thanks for the good info!
Love your video! I have had no luck with frozen salmon or cod but great luck with your other suggestions.
thank you for the info!
Thank you for this I buy seafood A LOT, but I usually by raw peeled shrimp because it easier not to have to peel, but I will keep what you said in mind!THANK YOU!!!!👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
the shrimp shells make for a wonderful fish sauce/broth and add a lot of flavor.
From the guy that thaws shrimp for sale at Kroger I agree with you!
Excellent guide
Excellent!
Hi Jack,
Sodium Tripolyphosphate, is used to make seafood look firm, smooth and glossy.
Seafood packers may soak product in a bath of STPP to achieve this. Seafood soaked too long will absorb more water so you pay more because it weighs more.
Product soaked with STPP will exude a milky white liquid as you cook it, and will shrink in size too.
Thanks Jack,
LG
So that's why salmon does that
Very interesting !
SO that what I been getting from my salmon fillets, YUCKS!! And i usually buy them FRESH the last one from Whole Foods even!
That white liquid in salmon is albumin, a naturally occurring liquid protein that gets denatured when cooked. It’s actually present in all fish, but stands out more in contrast to salmon’s pink flesh. It’s generally more visible when fish is overcooked. Don’t believe everything you read in UA-cam comments. Do your research. STPP is used in some seafood processing but not all fish is treated with it.
Great tips
Will need to check shrimp. Thanks for the update!
We buy cod loins for fish and chips (Alton Brown) and fish stew (Grandma), tilapia, sole and flounder for stuffed fish (Chef John) and piccata (Pasquale Sciarappa from Osara Recipes), lobster tails for surf and turf hibachi style and thermidor (Rachel Ray), and shrimp for tempura, hibachi and chili prawns (Martin Yan). You're welcome! 😋😎😉
All info, no fluff-- thanks!
Great tips.
I just discovered this channel. All tips about buying frozen fish are spot on. When I had cable - too expensive now - I used to watch ATK on whyy... One of my favorite shows ever. Keep up the good work. Back when Giant was more hands on at the local level, whenever I saw fish "previously" frozen in the display case, I'd ask if they had any still frozen - Go back in the freezer and check! Unless I was cooking it that day, I'd buy the frozen or none at all.
ATK and Cook's Country should still be broadcast on your local PBS affiliate, for free. (And the WHYY coverage area is quite large.) If not, or you no longer have a television, I guess just come back here to YT!
@@Melancthon7332 You can get PBS online on their own "streaming" channel.
Good info ❗️👍🏽
Great content ATK
That is a good tip on what to look for when shopping for frozen seafood and I eat seafood often and like to get the items frozen in large packets.
Good info. I'm surprised you didn't mention the difference between wild-caught and farmed seafood, but maybe that seemed tangential. For thawing, I recommend unwrapping and then thawing in the fridge on a bed of ice in enclosed Tupperware. Takes about two days for a Salmon or Cod filet. Thawing while still in a vacuum bag can lead to soggy fish.
I was disappointed that they used a bag full of Franken-fish 🤢
Exactly. No farmed fish is healthy.
@@hw8778 I've heard that North American farmed trout is somehow more ok; also some kind of Scottish salmon. But generally, I avoid farmed.
I rely on frozen seafoods during Lent. Thanks for the information
Good information
Location where the fish originated is something you should take into consideration, as well if it was farmed or wild caught. I've seen the festering pools in vietnam and china where much of the frozen fish comes from. Trust me, you don't want that.
yep
I can’t even find shrimp or fish at my local grocery store OR Wal-Mart that originated in the US. I refuse to buy it.
I never buy seafood from china. I'm also nervous about other countries like India. I also never buy tilapia or basa. Only fish from the northern Atlantic or Pacific or just catch my own.
Amen! I was just going to say that. Under the lax USDA inspections over the past few decades, they've allowed some disgusting "fish products"to be sold to us. Avoid Swai fish and any other fish from China. It swims in sewage essentially. I've gotten very sick from fish from China.
@@lisayerace5578 Good for you! Same here. On the rare occasion that I find it, I snatch it up. See my comments above.
Good one!!
So happy to live on the coast with vibrant fishing communities a plenty.
You are lucky
Shrimp in shell is great. Sure it may take a while longer to shell yourself but use the shells to make a base for a really good shrimp scampi. America's test kitchen has THE best scampi recipe I've ever had and I put it over thin spaghetti or reg fettucine and it is fantastic!
What about "Never frozen" salmon from the likes of Aldi? Thanks for the information. Good advice. Makes me glad I subscribe.
I've bought the Norwegian salmon at Aldi and been happy with it. Norway has decent farming practices. I stay away from any other farmed salmon.
@@jillcnc You are uninformed about the scandalous happenings in Norway re farmed salmon. Google is your friend.
My problem with frozen shrimp: they seemed to be puffed up with water, I assume under pressure. "Large" frozen shrimp shrink to half their size once you put them in a hot pan. Because I live on the coast, I buy my shrimp fresh off the trawler, head them, and freeze them myself. No packaged frozen shrimp for me.
Lucky!
TPP is a garbage ingredient to have added to your shrimp, scallops or other seafood. It primarily serves to help raw seafood retain moisture and look plump. If you take frozen seafood with TPP, and defrost it with a paper towel underneath it, you’ll see a pool of liquid that was mostly absorbed by your paper towel and that seafood will be noticeable skinnier. If you’re paying for these frozen items by the pound, you’re also paying for that liquid. It’s a bummer and as Jack mentioned, it also won’t taste great.
I wish Jack showed what freezer burn looked like in a vacuum-sealed package. I’ve never seen it and wouldn’t know how to spot it.
......if YOU'RE paying for.......third grade grammar failure......
@@urbanurchin5930 - what are you talking about? You read it wrong. And YOU’RE rude. And wrong. And, possibly, senile.
I love America Test Kitchen
YES
Nice to know.
I saw this video and decided to try the frozen salmon filets offered at a large popular supermarket chain in Connecticut, USA. I have always bought the fresh filets at the seafood counter. The first meal using the frozen salmon was awful. I generally cook this kind of fish in a covered pan with broth around it and it comes out very moist and tender but the thawed salmon filets were missing that tender texture. Today I put both a thawed filet and a fresh filet into an instant pot for a cook time of one minute with a fast pressure release. The fresh filet was what I expected and was excellent but the thawed filet was very dense in texture and not a pleasure to eat at all. The only reason that I ate it is that I refuse to waste food. So why the big disconnect between the advice in the video and the results?
Frozen salmon was on sale in my grocers freezer I was assured it was not farm raised. In my fridge I thawed 2 fillets for 24 hours, took the fillets out, leaning them into my sink to drain liquid before cooking, both fillets went from salmon pink to brown, this pink colored goo drained out of the fish! It was the most disgusting thing I'd ever seen and I can only imagine what that thick pink goo was. I took it back to my grocers and even the manager was horrified. Don't buy farm raised.
I was a butcher/fish retailer. All fish is frozen before it gets to you anyway (except fresh salmon), even if you buy it at 6 AM from an outdoor fish market 20 meters from the sea. So you should buy it frozen.
The other thing: seafood in the wild often is living at a really cold ambient temperature. Like 45-50 degrees. Your refrigerator isn’t that far from the temperature that fish, and the bacteria they host, are used to. So fish in the refrigerator goes bad almost as fast as beef sitting on the counter. Keep it frozen until right before you cook it.
I only like watched you two ladies at the end honestly.
I lived in Alaska for most of my life and these are good tips, except the tilapia (i wouldnt serve it to my worst enemy) fresh or frozen. A lot of the times we were eating things from the ocean just minutes or a couple hours after they've been caught and that's the biggest thing I miss about not living up there anymore- fresh seafood.
And again, never, ever, never, ever thaw fish in a microwave!
Whats wrong with tilapia?
@@HennesseyNCigarzIt's farm-raised fish which means it's fed grains and soy. It doesn't have the wild waters in which to swim. SOME tilapia can have levels of dioxin. Dioxin is believed to contribute to cancer growth in humans and has a very long life once in your system (about a decade to fully leave a human system). That said, the poultry and meat most people buy is raised in similar conditions. Weigh your options and decide what you like, as with everything else in life.
Not sure about defrosting fish in the microwave, but you can make a really tasty poached filet straight from frozen in the microwave - fat, salt, aromatics, and something wet, like soy sauce or lemon juice, covered, cooked at 40% power for a few min depending on thickness (shout out Dave Chang).
Very helpful tips. I was expecting you to discuss the farmed vs wild caught aspect as well. I never buy farmed products.
Would have been nice if he mentioned the quality assurance that the BAP certification seal offered. Thank You
Thank you for these tips. I used to live on the coast of England and my Mum would buy fresh fish caught that morning and cook for dinner. We ate fish Two to three times a week and it was amazing. Now I buy frozen fish and we have once a week. I had one of those fish box deliveries for a while but it was really expensive.
I just bought some frozen pollock fish fillets yesterday.😋..they're thawing in my fridge now for tonight ...
I bought it soley because I could see the product through the clear packaging!😉which looked fresh and quality.
👍🏿Thanks for the good information Jack!
^Solely... I see what you did there... Just for the halibut, huh?
@@danielbauer9027
👍🏿😄😄😄😄
Dan, I never intended to be so clever..😂😉..loved your halibut pun too..lol
Thanks!👌🏿
@@QIKWIA Aww, shucks, thanks! Gotta have humor in life to make the world your oyster...Otherwise, what's the porpoise? Okay, holy mackerel, that's enough, I better clam up before I start to flounder and make somebody eel... ; P
@@danielbauer9027
😂😂😂😂😂😂
👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿🤦🏿♀️👍🏿👍🏿
🤷🏿♀️How clever is this!!!
I absolutely LOVE it!!!👊🏿💯
🙏🏿Thanks for the belly laugh!😄
@@QIKWIA Thanks again, glad I could brighten your day, hope you have a great night there! The local Safeway here has frozen shrimp on sale, can't wait to try a garlic shrimp recipe on the 'Chef Jean Pierre' UA-cam channel I just discovered! Check him out, if you haven't already, he is great at teaching and is also pretty funny!
I buy frozen Tilapia and Cod from the grocery store all the time- and defrost it in the fridge even couple days before. Now I'm going to get the lobster tails and squid as well. And from a "health" perspective, they are a fantastic source of lean protein. So much better than protein powders and even better than chicken breasts.
I'm having a lot of trouble finding frozen shrimp that doesn't contain STPP. What would my next best option be? Go for the ones sitting behind the counter or just get the frozen ones with the STPP?
Use those shrimp shells, tails and legs for a quick and easy stock for sauces.
Costco sells shrimp that just contains shrimp and salt
So do other places
Thank you for the valuable information. I always thought frozen fish is inferior.
We have always made fish tacos with frozen tilapia. You do have to cook the fish for a couple minutes in a preheated pan and then flip before you can add taco seasoning to the filets, but it always works perfectly well and tastes exactly the same!
I totally agree - frozen is your best option for seafood. As a sports fisherman, I rarely buy fish. I used to get fresh Prawns direct from the fisherman. They have a freezer plate on the boat where they drop the Prawns on it and they are frozen solid within a minute, then packaged and put into the boats freezer until they get back to the dock to sell them. Prawns will start to go bad within 15 minutes of catching if they are not kept live or fast frozen.
Watch a documentary on the fishing ships if you have not yet - they are amazing. I never knew how much they could process the fish onboard. Frozen on the ship is going to be very fresh. The only reason I buy fresh fish is that I have a regular fishmonger that lets me know when my preferred fish come in. It is caught one day, and at my house the next (but I understand that not everyone lives on an island). 😎
Yet, the fishing industry loves to depict the romantic little sailor going out to fish like it was 1820. Sadly, fishing trawlers or GIANT KILLING MACHINES that are destroying all sea life with their reckless abandon. We are witnessing oceans that are dying.
Great tips! I also look for the Country of Origin. Only US shrimp and seafood for me!
i live in kansas and work in a grocery store. all of our seafood comes in frozen. even fresh water fish.
I have bought frozen Shalon shrimp before and have no problem with them. I have never in my life bought a frozen fish that I was happy with. Based on what Jack says it may be that it’s very common to freeze improperly. Especially cod. When I thaw the fish is just full of water and it’s ridiculous. I wonder if it is because it has been thawed and then refrozen due to improper storage.
Something you overlooked is 'water glaze'. There are legal limits when it needs to be declared but this is often skirted. The producer will say it 'protects', the buyer only sees added weight through water, not fish.
Instant fish. Just remove water.
Prove that it's skirted
I've tried the individually frozen cod. He was right, it didn't handle the freezing process well because it practically fell apart NO MATTER HOW I PREPARED IT. NEVER AGAIN, ( I didn't overcook them).
Atlantic cod always breaks up when cook whether it was fresh (chilled to 33 F and held at this temp) or frozen. This is the nature of cod. Now you are going to ask how I know ... I sell fish fresh and frozen.
great advice - i prefer frozen seafood to something previously thawed. i do not care much for talapia though.
Some cooked shrimp isn't all bad you just need to know what you are looking for and what you use it for like if you are going to service it as side dish with cocktail sauce then just thaw our or thaw out and dry before you put it in a sauce for pasta as you warm it up
i love when people think buying "fresh" unthawed seafood at the supermarket is fresher than buying frozen. it was all frozen at some point!! might as well thaw it yourself.
Somewhat off topic but what is the deal with packaged refrigerated fish from Walmart and Aldis with the long expiration dates? It stays fresh and I don’t see an irradiation symbol? Thanks for the great info!
Buy fish or shrimp in season. I'm in Texas and I only buy Wild Caught Texas Gulf Shrimp 16/20 frozen in season. Your Market thaws shrimp for sell but if you ask it is shipped frozen in 2 pound bags. Fresh local fish I have a wonderful friend who loves to fish and give to friends. I'm so lucky.
Love this! What about shellfish?
Oysters, crab, mussels, clams?
Those are gonna be steamed anyway. It really doesn't apply to this. Just keep them frozen or on ice until you get ready to use them
@@israelturner8079 true...so if i want to eat them "live" then thats where i wil purchase it live?
Sorry i needed this talk to wrap my head around seafood. Now i dont have to be upset that i dont live on the east or west coadt!
Frozen scallops are great too.
Roundy’s used to carry shrimp without TSP, but not any more.
Can you guys do a video on the best videos
Tilapia is mostly raised overseas in toxic water conditions.
Not true. Whole Foods sells great tilapia from sources in several countries but they take the time to inspect the facilities annually.
When I had a subzero I had not freezer crystals. In top freezer of my refrigerator I get crystals. My sister said its because of the auto self clean feature. (?) Should I repack chicken and veggies?
I've bought frozen sea scallops at Aldi, defrosted and dried them thoroughly and actually gotten a decent sear out of them.
I buy the frozen mussels in a sauce at Aldi cook frozen and put over pasta, very tasty
I'm fortunate I live in a major white fish port .... fresh from the sea ...nothing beats North Sea produce.
What time does the dinner bell ring? 😀