Tips on Storage, Handling and Cooking Seafood
Storage and Handling
- Purchase fish only from a reliable source.
- Check fish for freshness.
- Fresh seafood does not smell fishy.
- Scales are intact.
- There is no discoloration.
- Gills are red.
- Flesh is firm.
- Keep fish on ice until refrigerated.
- Store fish in an airtight container in the refrigerator at 32-38°.
- Freeze seafood for 2-10 months. Shelf life varies with species. Fatty fish have a shorter freezer shelf life.
- Never refreeze seafood once it has thawed.
- Thaw seafood in the refrigerator, never at room temperature. To use frozen seafood immediately use the microwave defrost setting.
- Do not drip seafood juices on counters, utensils or other foods.
- Wash hands, knives, and cutting boards thoroughly with hot soapy water after handling raw fish.
- Wash containers that held raw seafood before using them again. A bleach solution works well.
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Cooking Seafood
- Try preparing fish that you ordinarily do not eat. All fish are edible if handled correctly.
- Try new recipes using different cooking methods.
- Experiment with different garnishes and sauces.
- Avoid deep, batter-fried methods of cooking. It increases omega-6 fatty acids and total fat.
- Cook fish at 450°F for 10 minutes per inch of thickness, or when fillet turns opaque and flakes easily.
- Cooking is a must for at-risk people (if immune system is compromised in any way).
- Marinate fish in the refrigerator in a sealed plastic container. Do not marinate fish for over one hour and always discard used marinade.
- Grill, broil, sauté, bake or poach fish, but use care not to overcook.
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Grilling. Firm-textured fish -- like grouper, shark, swordfish and mackerel -- grill well. Fish is best grilled over a moderately hot fire and on a surface that has been well oiled. When grilling with coals, spread out white-hot coals in a single layer and adjust the grill height to four to six inches above the heat.
Broiling. Place fish, one-inch thick or less, two to four inches from the source of heat. Fish thicker than 1-inch should be placed five to six inches away from the heat. Gulf fish with low fat content, such as grouper, flounder, snapper and trigger fish, should be basted when cooking with a dry heat method such as broiling and baking.
Poaching. In a 10-inch fry pan, add water and seasonings or broth and heat to a gentle boil. Place fish in poaching liquid, cover and simmer for 10 minutes per inch of thickness or until fish is flaky and no longer translucent in the center. Carefully remove fish to a warm platter.
