by J.A. O'Neal

Created on: September 13, 2009   Last Updated: September 15, 2009

Cooking is always something I have taken seriously, but living in Ohio I do not have the access to fresh sea food that I would like. This reason causes some people to give up all together on sea food; however there are ways around this adversity. Here is a simple guide to help you shop for good seafood in your supermarket.

-The first basic rule you should know, that applies to all sea food is that the fish should not taste "fishy." If you pick up the fish and it smells like the inside of a bad sushi bar it is no good. The fish should smell fresh and salty, like the sea. You may be saying "how can I do that if they are in plastic packages?" This is a time where you have to break the rules a little; Open the package a little bit on the corner and smell it. If the fish is good then it doesn't matter anyway since you are going to buy it. If it smells bad, well either hand it to the man at the sea food counter and tell him "smell this, it's no good." Or just put it back-it is already ruined anyway.

-The second basic is that the fish should be bright in colour. Salmon should have an intense pinkish red to it, not faded and mushy looking. For other "white" fish, it shouldn't look translucent, but firm and with a solid colour. Another way to tell is if the fish has skin on it, it should still have a glossy tone to it. If it looks dull and faded you don't want to waste your money on it. If it is a whole fish, with the head and eyes intact, look into the eyes as well. They should look bright and alive, not like the eyes of a dead chicken.

-For shellfish such as mussels and clams, it is best to buy them fresh. However, if you cannot do this frozen ones will do if thawed properly. Put the shellfish in a large bowl and place in the back of your refrigerator for at least 24 hours. If they are left out in your sink to thaw the flesh will become mushy. But if possible, I would recommend trying to find a large market or fish market. These shellfish will obviously not be as fresh as if you lived by the ocean, but they are better than frozen. I know the North Market in Columbus, Ohio would probably have them.

-Lobster: many supermarkets have a large tank with lobsters-this is the best solution. I know that dismembered lobster is available in large bags in the freezer section of your supermarket. I don't reccomend using these, but again if that is all that is available to you you may use them and follow the same method for defrosting as shellfish. The same rules apply for crab meat.

-Shrimp: I do not use shrimp often in cooking. But I have used the ones in the frozen bags at the supermarket. They are okay but it is easy to overcook them if you don't thaw them all the way. For shrimp it is okay to leave them out in the sink for a few hours to thaw thoroughly.

I hope this guide will be of help to you!

Learn more about this author, J.A. O'Neal.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.