How to Properly Handle Seafood
Fresh Fish Fast provides high-quality, delivered seafood to your door. Cooking fish and shellfish provides quality nutrition for you and your family; however, you must take precautions. Following health and safety guidelines while handling your seafood will reduce the risk of food-borne illnesses and will help ensure quality seafood to serve at your table. Temperature, storage time, storage location, and cleanliness are essential to keep in mind when handling seafood.
Temperature and Storage
Fish
By ordering from Fresh Fish Fast, you can be assured your fresh seafood is arriving in peak condition. Upon arrival, delivered seafood should be moved to where the temperature stays below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Raw fish can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Fish can be frozen for extended storage. Freezer units at 0℉ will maintain seafood freshness for 1 to 6 months, depending on the kind and cut of fish. Refrigerator freezers tend to run warmer at temps between 10-25℉ and so seafood should be used in 1-2 months.
All seafood should be defrosted in the fridge or in cold water to minimize bacterial growth if the temperature is too high. Once cooked, fish should maintain a temperature of 140℉ to stay safe for consumption. Fish should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145℉, and when fully cooked, the flesh will look opaque and flake. If consuming raw fish, use only commercially frozen fish. Do not eat raw shellfish or fish if you have a compromised immune system.
Shellfish
Shellfish should be stored in the refrigerator inside a shallow dish with a moist towel on top of it. Live mussels should be used within 2-3 days if properly stored. Live clams and oysters can be stored in the fridge for 7-10 days. Open shells should be tapped to be sure the organism is still alive. If the shell doesn’t close after tapping, discard the shellfish.
Squid, Shrimp, and Shucked Shellfish
Squid, shrimp, and shucked shellfish should be stored inside a leakproof, sealed container in the refrigerator. Squid and shucked clams can be stored for 1-2 days. Shrimp and scallops are ok to keep in the fridge for 2-3 days. Oysters that are freshly shucked can stay fresh for 5-7 days in the fridge.
Crab and Lobster
Crab and Lobster should be cooked on the day of purchase or delivery. Once cooked, they can be stored in the fridge for 2-4 days - if the meat is separated from the shell.
Cleanliness is key!
Good sanitary practices prevent bacteria from multiplying and reaching harmful levels in seafood. Hands should be washed for a minimum of 20 seconds with warm, soapy water before handling seafood.
Start with a clean workspace that includes clean cutting boards and cutlery. Items in contact with seafood should be washed with warm, soapy water before and after processing. They should be kept separate from other food items until after they are cleaned. Keep raw prep cookware separate from cookware being used for cooked seafood. Shells should be scrubbed with a stiff brush prior to cooking or shucking if cooking shellfish.
The proper handling of seafood ensures a great experience any time of the year. When you are craving high-quality fresh seafood and fish, trust Fresh Fish Fast.
