Buying Storing and Deveining Shrimp
Master the essentials of handling shrimp with this comprehensive guide to buying, storing, and deveining shrimp, perfect for seafood lovers and home cooks alike. Learn how to select the freshest shrimp—whether fresh or frozen—and store them properly to maintain their delicate flavor and texture. This step-by-step tutorial walks you through peeling shrimp with ease and expertly deveining them for a clean, restaurant-quality finish. Featuring pro tips like saving shrimp shells for homemade stock, this guide ensures your crustaceans are prepped to perfection for any recipe. Ideal for those looking to up their seafood game, these straightforward methods guarantee you'll always have shrimp ready for sautés, stir-fries, or grilling.
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Ingredients
- 1 pound Raw shrimp (peeled or unpeeled, deveined or undeveined)
- 2 cups Ice
- 4 cups Cold water
Directions
Step 1
1. **Buying Shrimp**: When purchasing shrimp, look for fresh or frozen shrimp with a firm texture and mild, ocean-like smell. If buying fresh, ensure they are stored on ice at the market. Popular choices include large or jumbo shrimp, often sized as '16/20' (meaning 16-20 shrimp per pound).
Step 2
2. **Storing Shrimp**: If using fresh shrimp, rinse them under cold water and store them in an airtight container placed over a bowl of ice in the refrigerator. Use within 1-2 days. If frozen, keep them in the freezer until needed and thaw overnight in the refrigerator when ready to use.
Step 3
3. **Prepping to Devein Shrimp**: Begin by rinsing the thawed or fresh shrimp under cold water to remove any surface impurities. Lay the shrimp on paper towels and pat them dry gently.
Step 4
4. **Peeling the Shrimp**: If the shrimp are unpeeled and you prefer peeled shrimp, start by grasping the legs and peeling away the shell. Leave the tail on for presentation purposes, or remove it entirely based on your recipe.
Step 5
5. **Deveining Shrimp**: Using a small paring knife or shrimp deveiner, slice along the back of the shrimp from head to tail, cutting just deep enough to expose the dark vein (digestive tract). Gently pull out the vein using the tip of your knife or your fingers. Rinse the shrimp under cold water to clean completely.
Step 6
6. **Storing Cleaned Shrimp**: After cleaning, place the shrimp in a bowl of cold water with ice to keep them fresh until cooking begins, or pat them completely dry with paper towels and store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
Step 7
7. **Note**: Save leftover shrimp shells, if peeled, to make flavorful stock for soups, stews, or sauces.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving size | (1188g) |
|---|
| Amount per serving | % Daily Value* |
|---|---|
| Calories | 0 |
| Total Fat 0g | 0% |
| Saturated Fat 0g | 0% |
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium 35.5mg | 0% |
| Total Carbohydrate 0g | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber 0g | 0% |
| Total Sugars 0g | |
| Protein 0g | 0% |
| Vitamin D 0IU | 0% |
| Calcium 39.5mg | 0% |
| Iron 0mg | 0% |
| Potassium 0mg | 0% |
Source of Calories