How to choose shrimp: features, recommendations and ways

A healthy and tasty dietary product, which must be included at least sometimes in your menu - shrimp. How to choose and cook them right? At first glance, this may seem like a daunting task. But in fact, it’s not at all difficult!

First you need to decide what exactly you want to cook. After that, go to the store to choose a product that suits your needs.

What are shrimps?

You, of course, pay attention to the fact that shrimp are significantly different from each other in price. What affects the cost? As is the case with any other products - packaging, packaging, manufacturer and some other factors.

How to choose a shrimp? First, remember what shrimp are sold in stores?

1. Weighed or packaged in bags or boxes half a kilogram, a kilogram or more.
2. Frozen or chilled.
3. Raw or boiled.
4. Whole or peeled.

Dimensions

How to choose a shrimp? First, pay attention to their size - the main difference and the main factor affecting the price. It is indicated on the packaging or price tag of the product in the form of a special abbreviation, for example, "70/90". This is the so-called shrimp caliber, showing the approximate number of pieces per kilogram of product. Accordingly, the larger the number on the package, the smaller the size. If it says "100/200", then in this package you will find shrimps of very small size, because in a kilogram from 100 to 200 pieces of tiny arthropods. And vice versa, if you see the inscription "8/15", then be prepared for the fact that there are huge shrimp inside, about the size of a human palm.

The most popular packages are marked: "70/90" and "90/120". Their popularity is due to the fact that such sizes are most common, and therefore have a lower price.

Smaller shrimps are considered more tasty, but their processing is much more complicated and longer. Larger shrimps are more satisfying and easy to prepare, but they are inferior in taste.

How to choose a shrimp?

• Pay attention to the water in which the shrimp was caught: sea or freshwater. They will differ from each other both in taste and in appearance. Freshwater shrimp have a uniform color, while their marine counterparts have a striped shell. Caught in fresh water is more satisfying, but shrimp from salt waters have a more intense aroma.
• Experts assure that the most delicious shrimp are caught in the northern sea waters, so when choosing the perfect product, you should pay attention to the geographical indicators of the place of their capture. The shrimp habitat also affects their size. The farther north, the colder the water, and the finer the shrimp. Popular large "Tiger" and "King" prawns are brought to us from southern countries.
• If you ask any experienced buyer about what to choose fresh frozen shrimp, you will get the answer: shake the bag or box to make sure that they are not frozen with the whole briquette. The fact is that when seafood is frozen, glazed freezing is used, in which each shrimp freezes separately. If in the bag you felt a lump of ice with snow, then the shrimps were thawed and re-frozen, which negatively affects their taste and benefits.
• If you are buying weighted shrimp that you can consider before buying, pay attention to their smell. It should not be, or it should be a slight smell of the sea.
• Also pay attention to color. There should not be any stains on the shell and paws or extraneous shades of color. Raw shrimp - gray. Boiled - bright pink. White spots indicate that the product was frozen, dark ones indicate shrimp stale.
• Shrimp tail should be bent. Direct indicates the death of the shrimp before freezing.
• How to choose a fresh, not frozen product? In the same way - by smell and appearance.

What shrimp to choose?

What shrimp to choose: fresh or frozen, raw or boiled, whole or peeled? It is up to you to decide. It is worth considering that proper professional freezing immediately after seafood capture does not in any way affect the reduction of the above qualities, but only contributes to the competent transportation, preservation of freshness and an increase in shelf life.

After cleaning the shrimp, only about 30% of the original weight remains from them. That is, having bought 1 kg, you will get only about 300 grams at the output. Should I choose peeled shrimp in this regard? Here you have to make a choice between economy and quality. After all, the shell protects from damage, preserves the taste and nutrients during freezing, heat treatment and transportation.

How to store shrimp?

Now you know all about how to choose frozen shrimp. How to store them? Like any fish and other seafood! Frozen should be stored in the freezer for about two months or in accordance with the recommendations indicated on the package.

After thawing, they will retain their freshness for a day in the refrigerator if they are put in a container with ice. To preserve the freshness of the non-frozen product for several days, you can use the following storage method: put a layer of ice in a plastic container, lay the seafood in the next layer and cover it with another layer of ice, cover it loosely with another plastic container.

How to clean shrimp?

This process is not at all complicated, everything turns out intuitively, even if you have never cleaned shrimp before.

1. Tear off your head.
2. Use your fingers to separate the shell in the abdomen from the side of the head and bend it along the entire length of the shrimp.
3. Remove the carapace. At this stage, you can leave the tail, if it is useful to you for decorating dishes.
4. With a knife, carefully cut the back of the already soft part of the shrimp, starting from the head to the tail.
5. Using the sharp tip of a knife, remove the intestine from the incision, which is often black, but may also be colorless (empty).
6. Rinse the shrimp thoroughly.

How to cook shrimp for salad?

Raw Shrimp Recipe:

1. Pre-defrost shrimp in air.
2. To boil water. Its amount should be sufficient to cover the shrimp completely. If you need to get salted shrimp, then usually take salt at the rate of 1-1.5 tablespoons per liter of water.
3. Dip the shrimp in salted boiling water. Bring to a boil and cook for several minutes, until the shrimp float to the surface and become a bright orange color. Usually about 3 minutes.

For processing boiled-frozen shrimp, you can use the same recipe. Cooking times can be shortened to avoid excessive heat treatment. Just bring the shrimp to a boil, turn off the heat and leave them under the lid in the water for another 15-20 minutes - this will make them more juicy and soft.

Using the basic recipe for cooking shrimp, you can prepare a workpiece for many complex recipes, such as salads with boiled shrimps, pilaf or pasta, as well as prepare independent dishes by baking or frying the shrimp.

Now we know everything about shrimp, how to choose and cook these seafood deliciously.

And what are the benefits of shrimp?

Shrimp, like all seafood, is an ideal dietary product. They are distinguished by a huge content of protein, proteins and calcium, despite the fact that they have very few carbohydrates. Due to this, they are often included in the menu of losing weight or following any other diet of people. The calorie content of boiled shrimp is only 95 kcal per 100 g. In addition, seafood contains a huge amount of iodine, which affects the endocrine system, which is of great importance for the body as a whole.