7 Palengke Secrets on Picking the Freshest Seafood in the Market
Seafood can be cooked in many ways – fried, baked, grilled, steamed, and so much more. But we all know that nothing beats a seafood dish with the freshest ingredients in it.
Determining the freshness of raw seafood is a great skill to have when cooking delicious seafood dishes. So, here are some tips to guide you on checking the freshness of fish and shellfish:
How to tell if a fish is fresh
- It has clear eyes. One of the best ways to check if the fish is fresh is through its eyes. The eyes should be bright and clear and NOT cloudy or hazy.
- Its gills are red and brown. The gills tell so much about the freshness of the fish. Make sure that the gills of the fish you’re buying are deep red, not brownish. There should be no trace of slime on it.
- Its skin is firm and clear. The skin of the fish should be firm, clear, and bright. The flesh must bounce back when slightly pushed down. Its shiny scales must also be intact.
- It has a fresh smell. A fresh fish has a pleasant smell like it just got caught from the sea. It must smell of the sea – salty, fresh, and gentle.
How to tell if a shrimp is fresh
- Its flesh is firm. The flesh of a fresh shrimp should bounce bank upon touching. The legs should also be intact to its body.
- It has clear skin. Definitely, shrimps do not have perfect skin. However, if there are black spots, we suggest not picking that shrimp up. It must also look clean without a trace of slime on it.
- It has a fresh smell. A fresh shrimp has a pleasant smell of the sea.
How to tell if clams/oysters/mussels are fresh:
- They have clean and crack-free shells. The first thing to do when buying shellfish is to check the shells. They must be clean and crack-free.
- The shells are closed. If they are slightly open, make sure they close up when tapped.
- They have a fresh smell. Fresh shellfish must smell of the sea - salty, fresh, and gentle.
Not only are seafood loaded with lots of nutrients, they also produce very delicious dishes to serve on the table with your family. But then, cooking unfresh seafood spoils the mood and could cause digestive problems. At Safe Select, we make sure everything is extremely fresh so you can better enjoy your meals with your family. What are you waiting for? Head over to our website right now and check out our wide collection of seafood now!