Most often, shrimp are sold on the shelves of fish stores and supermarkets in frozen form. But the usefulness of such seafood is no less than fresh. In addition, they are often already cleaned, and sometimes welded, which greatly facilitates their preparation. Do I need to defrost shrimp? How to do it right. Consider these issues later in the article.
The benefits of shrimp
Before we begin to consider how to defrost frozen shrimp, we will familiarize ourselves with the benefits of these sea crustaceans:
- shrimp practically do not contain fats and carbohydrates;
- they have useful vitamins - E, A, D, B 1, B 2;
- trace elements: zinc, iron, iodine, potassium, magnesium.
All these components perfectly make up for all the substances necessary for the body. Please note that shrimp is a perishable product, so you need to defrost it properly.
Do I need to defrost shrimp at all?
Today there is much debate on this subject, and consensus still does not exist. Both of these options have their own right to exist, therefore, each must decide for himself what to do. So, let's proceed to a discussion of ways to properly defrost shrimp.
The first method is in the refrigerator
It is considered the most effective. Consider how to defrost shrimp this way. You need to get them out of the freezer in advance, transfer the contents to a deep bowl, then cover tightly with a lid and leave in the refrigerator for 8 hours. This method is not the fastest, but the prawns are tasty and healthy.
The second method is in the kitchen
Consider the second method of defrosting shrimp. It turns out a good result, due to the fact that you need to do this at room temperature. In this case, all the beneficial properties of the shrimp are preserved. The disadvantage of this method is that the product becomes less fragrant.
The third method is in the microwave
Consider how to quickly defrost shrimp. In this case, you can use the microwave. Naturally, this option is not the best, since the taste properties of the shrimp will immediately change - they will become dry and lose their aroma.
The fourth method is in water
This method, how to defrost shrimp, is considered excellent, as it gives a good result. At the same time, everything you need is at your fingertips. So, you need to pour the shrimp into a plastic bag with a good density, tie it with a thread so that water does not get, then take a saucepan, pour cold water and lower the bag into it.
How many defrost shrimp this way? It usually takes 30 minutes to completely thaw, to preserve freshness and aroma.
Many are interested in how to defrost boiled shrimp. This is done by any of the following methods.
Common mistakes shrimp lovers
Impatient gourmets often try to defrost seafood by immersing them in hot water. In this case, as with the microwave, shrimp will lose their beneficial properties, aroma and taste, become dry and tasteless. If you still have some shrimp that you did not use, re-freezing is unacceptable here. Especially if these seafood are large.
There are two types of shrimp: freshly frozen and boiled-frozen. The first of them was frozen with live shrimp. Their color is gray. And the second kind was frozen already boiled, so their color, of course, is pink.
How to determine the freshness of shrimp
Do not forget that the taste and useful properties depend on the conditions of their storage.
First you need to make sure the freshness of this product, and here's what you should pay attention to:
- gray or yellow color should not be present on the shell and head;
- There should be a folded tail;
- fresh smell;
- uniform color.
When buying, you need to pay attention to the structure of seafood. Often there are packages in which the shrimp is not whole, which indicates poor quality. Another point to pay attention to. Turn over a pack of shrimps several times. If they are poured and separated from each other, then they have the first freshness. If they stick together, it means that they were subjected to more than one freeze.
How to store shrimp
Let's share some tips on under what conditions and in what form to store shrimp.
- If you prefer to buy fresh shrimp, then you need to store them in the refrigerator for no more than 3 days.
- Try wrapping them in foil before freezing. So the product will last longer (about 3 months). If more time passes, the shrimp will become almost tasteless.
- To shrimp do not lose their taste, you need to keep the temperature in the refrigerator from 3-9 degrees.
- Since shrimp lose their taste even from the loss of liquid, it is necessary to keep them moist.
- At room temperature, the shelf life of shrimp is noticeably reduced and is 2-4 hours - this applies to frozen shrimp. If they are cooked, then they will stand for 3 days in the refrigerator. In this case, you can apply several tricks, so as not to lose their taste and aroma. Shrimp should be stored on paper and away from food.
So, we looked at how to defrost shrimp. We hope that these methods will help you do it right so that they remain tasty and healthy.
Now I want to share simple recipes for preparing these seafood. Many people ask: how long do shrimps cook? Many people think that 3 minutes is enough for the peeled seafood to completely boil and not lose its taste, and 5 minutes for unpeeled shrimp.
How to cook shrimp?
The easiest way to cook shrimp in a pan. To do this, you will need:
- 1 kg of shrimp;
- 3 l of water;
- salt to taste.
Cooking method:
Pour water into the pan and wait for boiling. Pour salt and mix well until completely dissolved. Take a bag of seafood. How to defrost shrimp is described above. Add them to salted water. Cook for 4 minutes, no more.
Stew in sauce
This recipe is suitable for already peeled shrimp. Have to take:
- 500 g peeled shrimp;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of olive oil;
- 1 onion;
- 2 cloves of garlic;
- salt to taste;
- 100 ml of water.
Cooking method:
- We take a saucepan and heat it, add vegetable oil.
- In the meantime, cut the onion and garlic cloves in half and send to a bowl of heated oil, fry a little.
- We send shrimp to the garlic with onion, pour everything with water, bring to a boil and cook for about 4 minutes.
- We do not open the lid and let it brew a little more.
- Shrimps on this principle of preparation are very delicate and fragrant.
Lazy shrimp in a double boiler
Essential Ingredients:
- 1 kg peeled shrimp;
- 2 l of water;
- 1 tbsp. a spoon of olive oil;
- 12 dill seeds;
- lemon - 1 pc.;
- salt to taste.
Cooking:
- Pour water into a double boiler, lay shrimps, salt.
- Squeeze the juice from the lemon and add the oil.
- Cook for about 15 minutes, depending on the model of the double boiler.
Oven baked prawns
Ingredients:
- 700 g peeled shrimp;
- 2 tbsp. tablespoons of olive oil;
- 3 cloves of garlic;
- half a lemon;
- a sprig of parsley;
- salt, pepper to taste.
Cooking:
- Lubricate the pan with olive oil and spread one layer of shrimp on it.
- Making the sauce. Squeeze lemon juice, add salt and pepper, mix everything. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
- Put the pan in a preheated oven and bake for about 8-10 minutes. We take out the baked shrimp, let it cool slightly and sprinkle with fresh parsley.
This dish is low-calorie, which is suitable for persons who watch their figure.
Some tips
You do not need to cook shrimps for a long time, they will become rubber and not tasty, while losing all the beneficial properties.
For a greater flavor, you can add bay leaf, cloves, black pepper during cooking.
The readiness of shrimps will be indicated by the fact that they will pop up and change the color of the shell. The proportion of water is better to observe 1: 2.
In conclusion, I want to say that our tips will benefit you when defrosting shrimp. If you regularly cook dishes from this seafood, then those wholesome substances that are in their juice will help to cope with such a problem in the human body as hypertension, as well as reduce stress.