If Frozen Shrimp Looks Like This, Leave It On The Shelf

The fresh versus frozen debate often comes up with different food items, and it's no different with shrimp. There is a big flavor difference between fresh and frozen shrimp, but you shouldn't take that to mean frozen shrimp isn't worth eating. Most shrimp sold in the United States are frozen where they're caught, so you've probably eaten good frozen shrimp plenty of times. However, there are warning signs to watch out for when buying frozen shrimp. For help on that, we spoke to chef Kelsey Murphy, who will be cooking for the Players Tailgate at this year's Super Bowl in Santa Clara, California. 

When it comes to red flags, according to Murphy, "You want to make sure there is not a lot of ice buildup or water in the bag. Extra water is the enemy of seafood and will just leak out when cooking, leading to a tough and unappetizing product." Too much ice can also be a sign that the shrimp has already thawed and then refrozen. It can be safe to refreeze shrimp after they've been thawed, but it won't be at the same level of quality and you have no way of telling how long those shrimp were sitting out before somebody refroze them. On top of all that, ice crystals are a sign of freezer burn, which tastes gross.

Ideally, you're looking for shrimp which were individually quick frozen (IQF), which means each shrimp was flash-frozen separately after being caught. When done this way, rather than block freezing, you shouldn't see any ice crystals at all and there's no risk of the shrimp sticking together during the freezing process. 

You should also check the shrimp's packaging for information about how the shrimp were harvested. Wild shrimp from the sea often taste better than shrimp farmed from industrial shrimp ponds because ocean shrimp have a more nutritious algae diet which gives them a nice briny flavor. Most wild shrimp caught domestically in the United States aren't currently at risk of overfishing.

Murphy agreed that frozen shrimp may not beat out fresh shrimp if you live near the coast where they're caught, but frozen is great if you live farther inland. As she put it, "When thawed properly, frozen shrimp yield excellent results and cooking at home can allow you to cook only what is needed and keep the rest frozen for later use." Buying frozen shrimp is often better than purchasing fresh shrimp that's been sitting on ice since those shrimp aren't as fresh as you think. If you live inland, they're likely less fresh than the packaged, frozen shrimp found elsewhere in the supermarket.