ANR-921, Revised June 1995. Brian E. Perkins, Extension Seafood Technologist

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Preparation and Preservation of Alabama Seafood

Many species of seafood are harvested, both recreationally and commercially, from the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The four most economically valuable forms landed in Alabama are shrimp, blue crabs, oysters, and fish. Whether home consumers catch their own seafood or purchase it at the seafood market, they often want to do much of the preparation themselves. They may also wish to store some or all of their seafood for extended periods. This brochure provides recommendations for proper home handling, preparation, and preservation of Alabama seafood.

Shrimp

Preparation

Head the shrimp promptly; simply pinch the heads off and discard them. Removing the heads reduces the amount of storage space you need because the head accounts for 35 to 40 percent of a shrimp's body weight. Shrimp heads also contain more than 80 percent of the spoilage bacteria found in shrimp. So, headed shrimp are less likely to spoil than those with heads left on.

After the head is removed, the final cleaning involves removing the shell, tail, and "sand vein" (if desired).

1. To peel the shrimp, hold the tail in one hand and slip the thumb of the other hand under the shell between the swimmerettes. Lift off several segments of shell. Repeat, if necessary, removing all but the tail section.
2. If the tail section is to be removed, squeeze the tail with the thumb and forefinger. Pull the shrimp meat with the other hand until it is released from the shell.
3. The sand vein (usually black) runs along the upper curve of the shrimp's body. To remove it, make a 1/8 inch deep cut with a sharp knife along the length of the upper curve. Then rinse the vein away under cold running water.

Preservation

Wash and sanitize your hands, the kitchen sink, counter top, and any other surfaces that will come in contact with the shrimp. Dissolve 1 tablespoonful of liquid laundry bleach in 1 gallon of tap water for a simple, effective sanitizing solution. Wash the shrimp thoroughly, using plenty of cool tap water. Leave the shells on the tail meat because the shells help reduce drying out (freezer burn) during frozen storage.

If you want to eat the shrimp fresh, mix them with ice and store them in the refrigerator. Uncooked shrimp should not be kept in the refrigerator for more than 3 to 4 days.

To freeze shrimp in zip-top freezer bags:

• Place 1 pound of shrimp in a 1-quart zip-top freezer bag.
• Fill the bag with cool tap water. Lay the bag on its side and drain the water off until the bag is almost flattened against the shrimp.
• Quickly zip the bag shut and freeze.

To freeze shrimp in milk cartons:

1. Thoroughly wash and sanitize milk cartons using the solution described above.
2. Place 2 pounds of shrimp in a half-gallon waxed milk carton.
3. Fill the carton with cool tap water to within 1 inch of the top.
4. Fold the top over and freeze.
5. After the contents have frozen, open the carton and add more water to cover any exposed shrimp. Then, fold the top over again, tape it closed, and freeze.

Shrimp frozen by these methods will keep for 4 to 6 months. Keep them solidly frozen. Do not thaw and refreeze them. Repeated freezing and thawing reduces the quality of the shrimp and provides a potential for spoilage. Thaw the shrimp carefully, either overnight in the refrigerator or under cold, running tap water, immediately before use.

Blue Crabs

Preparation Of Hard-Shell Crabs

Hard-shell blue crabs are sold either live or as cooked meat. When buying live crabs, make sure they show movement. Store the live crabs in a cool, moist area with plenty of air. Do not store them in airtight containers or containers filled with water because they will die.

Crabs are normally very active, but if they are kept out of the water for long periods, they will slow their movements. Some will even die. To check crabs that are not moving, gently tap on the top shell with a stick or other utensil. Live crabs will respond by quickly raising their claws. Crabs that don't respond are dead and should be discarded immediately.

Wash crabs thoroughly with plenty of cool tap water. This is best done with a kitchen sink sprayer or garden hose. Continue spraying the crabs until water that drains from the holding container is clear and trash free.

To prepare whole live crabs, boil them in seasoned water. Bring the seasoned water to a boil in a large pot or kettle. Add washed live crabs and cover tightly. After the water resumes boiling, cook the crabs at a full, rolling boil for at least 15 minutes. Remove the crabs from the heat, drain, and allow them to cool. If you want to freeze the crabs, they will keep better if they are cooked first.

You can also clean the crabs before you cook them. This way, you can cook only the claws and the inner skeleton (core), which contains the white meat. In this case, the cooking time should be only 8 to 10 minutes.

To clean hard-shell crabs:

1. With the crab upside down, firmly grasp the legs on one side with one hand and, with the other hand, lift the flap (apron) and pull back and down to remove the top shell.
2. Turn the crab right side up and remove the gills. Wash out the intestines and spongy material.

To remove the meat:

1. With a twisting motion, pull the legs loose from the body. Remove any meat that clings to the legs. Break off the claws.
2. Slice off the top of the inner skeleton and remove all the exposed meat on this slice.
3. At the back of the crab, on each side, lies a large lump of meat. With very careful U-shaped motions of the knife, remove these back fin lumps.
4. Remove the white flake meat from the other pockets with the point of the knife.
5. Crack the claw shell by striking the base of the first joint with a heavy, dull knife blade.

Remove the shell from around the movable pincer. This will expose the claw meat. If the meat is left attached to the movable pincer, it will make a delicious crab finger hors d'oeuvre. The dark meat can also be removed and used in soups, salads, or casseroles.

Preservation Of Hard-Shell Crabs

Wash and sanitize your hands, all work areas, and storage containers with the bleach solution. Remove the claws and either set them aside for storage or crack them open and remove the meat.

Remove the spongy, yellowish-orange structures (digestive and reproductive organs) from the body cavity and discard. Also, remove and discard the greyish-white, feathery structures (gills) found on either side of the body cavity. What remains is the body pod (made of cartilage), which contains the edible white meat.

If you plan to eat the crab meat fresh, pick it from the claws and body pod and place it in a cleaned and sanitized plastic storage container. Or, place the claws and body pods themselves in plastic storage bags. The packaged pods or picked meat may be stored on ice in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.

If the crab meat is to be frozen, it is better to leave it in the claws and body pods. Picked crab meat is more easily damaged by the formation of ice crystals and freezer burn. Place the claws and body pods in half-gallon waxed milk cartons that have been cleaned and sanitized. Add cool tap water to within 1 inch of the top. Fold the top over, tape it closed, and freeze.

Cooked hard-shell blue crab meat does not hold up very well in the freezer. Crabs frozen by this method will keep for only about 1 month. Do not thaw and refreeze them. Thaw the crabs overnight in the refrigerator only. Thawing under running tap water washes away the flavor.

Preparation Of Soft-Shell Crabs

Crabs periodically shed their shells so they can grow. A new, soft shell forms beneath the old, hard one. The crab backs out of the old shell as it loosens and splits. The crab then absorbs water to expand to its new, larger size.

Soft-shell blue crabs are available live, fresh, or frozen and either whole or cleaned. When buying live soft-shell blue crabs, make sure they show movement.

Store live crabs in a cool, moist area with plenty of air, not in airtight containers or small containers filled with water. For maximum quality, use them within 24 hours.

Clean live soft-shell blue crabs or whole (round) fresh or frozen crabs before cooking. Follow these easy steps:

1. Lift the large top shell spines (points) and scrape out the gills (grayish white feathery structures).
2. Remove the eyes and mouth parts by cutting across the front of the crab just behind the eyes with a knife or a pair of scissors.
3. Press the top shell over the legs to remove the bile sacs. Scrape out the internal organs through the cut made to remove the face. Rinse the body cavity with cold water. Or, the entire top shell can be lifted to expose the internal organs. Remove the internal organs and rinse the body cavity with cold water.
4. Turn the crab over and lift and remove the apron at its base.

Preservation Of Soft-Shell Crabs

Fresh soft-shell crabs will maintain their quality better when wrapped in plastic and packed in ice in the refrigerator. For maximum quality, use them within 48 hours.

To freeze soft-shell blue crabs, wrap them in several layers of moisture-proof plastic wrap and place them in the freezer. Properly wrapped and hard frozen soft-shell blue crabs will maintain good quality for up to 6 months. Do not thaw and refreeze them. Thaw the crabs overnight in the refrigerator only. Thawing under running tap water washes away the flavor.

Oysters

Preparation

Thoroughly wash and scrub all mud and debris from the shells. This is best done with a garden hose and scrub brush. Make sure that the oysters are alive. Live oysters hold their shells tightly closed. Tap any oysters with slightly opened or "gaped" shells. Live oysters will respond by closing their shells tightly. Unresponsive oysters are dead and should be discarded.

To shuck whole oysters, use cotton gloves and an oyster knife, which has a heavy, wedge-shaped blade and handle, often made in one piece. It is designed to withstand the pressure required to open oysters. Never use a sharp knife.

The cleanest way to open oysters is to grasp the oyster securely by the thin end or "bill," leaving the hinge (thicker portion) exposed toward the other hand. Then:

1. Insert the oyster knife in the crevice between the shells at the hinge; twist the knife while pushing it firmly into the opening to sever the hinge.
2. Once the hinge is broken, before pulling the shell apart, slide the knife along the inside of the top shell to cut the adductor muscle loose from the shell.
3. Remove the top shell and slip the knife under the body of the oyster, being careful not to mutilate it, and cut the muscle away from the bottom shell. Remove any remaining shell particles that may be attached to the oyster. Most oysters, except the very largest, can be opened by this method.

Preservation

Store oysters to be eaten fresh in the refrigerator. Unshucked oysters can be stored without ice in the refrigerator and should remain alive for 7 to 10 days.

Shucked oyster meats may be placed in sanitized 1-cup or 1-pint containers or plastic bags, packed in ice, and placed in the refrigerator. Oysters stored by this method will keep for 7 to 10 days.

Frozen oysters will be of lesser quality than fresh oysters. The simplest method is to freeze oysters in the shell. Place the oysters in a plastic bag and press out excess air. Seal the bag and freeze. The shell and juices provide an excellent, natural container for the oyster meat.

Shucked oyster meats can be frozen also. They will maintain a better flavor if frozen in their own natural juices (liquor). Place shucked oyster meats in sanitized plastic containers or bags. Press the bags flat. Leave 1/2 inch of headspace in the containers. Freeze as quickly as possible.

Oysters frozen by either of these methods will keep for 2 to 3 months. Do not thaw and refreeze the oysters. Thaw overnight in refrigerator only. Thawing under running water washes away the flavor.

Fish

Preparation

Wash and sanitize your hands, all work areas, and storage containers. Before cooking or storing your fish, dress it to the form that best suits your needs.

To prepare a whole (round) fish for cooking or storage, follow these simple steps:

1. Scale. Lay the fish on a board and hold the tail. Working from the tail to the head, scrape the scales off using a scaler, stiff knife, or large spoon. Rinse well.
2. Eviscerate. Make a cut along the entire length of the belly of the fish. Remove the entrails and pelvic fins. Clean the belly cavity thoroughly under running water.
3. Dress. Remove the head and pectoral fins by making a cut just behind them with a sharp knife. If the backbone is large, cut down to it on both sides and snap the head off. Remove the dorsal fin by cutting along each side with a sharp knife. Grasp the end near the tail and give a quick pull toward the head.
4. Steak. A large dressed fish can be cut into steaks by cutting across the backbone at 1- to 1-1/4-inch intervals.
5. Fillet. For filleting, it is not necessary to completely dress the fish. Scale the fish, unless the fillet is to be skinned. Use a sharp, flexible, thin-blade knife. Cut through the flesh along the backbone from the tail to just behind the head. Cut down to the collar bone. Turn the knife flat and slide it along the ribs to the tail, cutting the flesh away from the backbone. Repeat on the other side.
6. Rinse. Thoroughly wash the dressed fish, steaks, or fillets under plenty of cool, running tap water.

Many large fish can have tapeworms, which are usually found in the tail quarter of the fish. To remove them, fillet the fish in the usual fashion. The affected area will have a reddish tinge, unlike the whitish, unaffected areas. The tapeworms themselves are white. Although there should be no danger from eating this portion of the fish, most people will probably want to remove and discard the affected section.

Preservation

If you plan to eat your fish fresh, wrap it in clear plastic or place it in zip-top storage bags. Pack the fish in ice and place it in the refrigerator. Fresh fish stored in this manner will keep for 5 to 7 days.

To freeze fish follow the directions for freezing shrimp.

To glaze fish:

1. Dip each fish portion or fillet in ice water. Lay them on a cookie sheet (not touching) and place in freezer.
2. After the fish are solidly frozen, dip them in ice water again, place them back on the cookie sheet, and return to freezer.
3. Repeat Step 2 several times until an ice glaze completely covers the fish portions.
4. Wrap the glazed fish in two layers of plastic wrap or seal them in plastic bags.
5. Place fish in freezer.

Most fish frozen by these methods will keep for 4 to 6 months. However, fish with high fat content, such as mackerel, mullet, or bluefish, maintain their quality while frozen for only about 3 months.

Keep the fish solidly frozen. Do not thaw and refreeze them. Repeated thawing and refreezing reduces the quality of the fish and provides a potential for spoilage. Thaw fish carefully, either overnight in the refrigerator or under cold, running tap water immediately before use.

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References

This pamphlet was compiled using information condensed from the following publications. Consult them for additional information about seafood nutrition, storage, preparation, and preservation.

Perkins, B. E. 1987. Saving your catch. Alabama Cooperative Extension Service Circular CRD-40. MASGP-87-001.

Perkins, B. E. 1989. Alabama seafood facts. Alabama Cooperative Extension Service Circular ANR-833. MASGP-93-014.

Perkins, B. E. 1991. Seafood Safety. Alabama Cooperative Extension Service Circular ANR-578. MASGP-91-003.

Our thanks to the Florida Department of Natural Resources, Division of Marine Resources, Bureau of Marketing and Extension Services, for information used in this publication.

Our thanks to the Virginia Sea Grant Marine Advisory Service for allowing the use of the soft-shell crab preparation diagrams.

This work is partly a result of research sponsored by the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium and NOAA, Office of Sea Grant, Department of Commerce, under Grant No. NA56RG0129.