When you’re in the market for quality seafood, you may think that government regulations on food will keep you safe, whether you buy fresh or buy seafood online. However, that’s not entirely true. While these regulations do carry certain guidelines, it’s still important for the consumer to take responsibility for choosing seafood that is of high quality. That’s why it’s important to understand how to determine freshness and quality when looking at seafood on your own.
There is no one way to choose the best seafood, but there are things that many experts keep in mind. The best thing to rely on are your five senses, along with your own common sense to guide you toward the best options.
Having said that, it’s essential that you only purchase your seafood from a reputable and knowledgeable seafood supplier or dealer. If you aren’t sure whether that is the case, it’s simple to do a quick Internet search of a particular company to get an idea of what their reputation is. You want to see that they are generally trusted and have been involved in the distribution of seafood for a long time, with no major flubs on their records.
If you are buying seafood in person, one of the best things to consider is the look of the seafood dealership as well as how the people who work there handle the product. You should expect to see that seafood is iced properly and then refrigerated or instead frozen. If you smell any foul odors, it’s not the seafood place you should frequent.
When buying fish, you can check the flesh for the level of firmness. Shiny flesh indicates the fish is fresh, as does flesh that bounced back after pressing a finger into it. You will also want to look for bright eyes and red or pink gills. When buying fish steaks, be sure to check for any yellowing or browning on the edges which may mean the product is not fresh.
As for frozen fish, you want to look for fish that has no ice crystals or abnormal coloring. The flesh of the fish shouldn’t look dried out or have dark spots. You should also determine that the package is properly sealed, as rips or tears can lead to bad quality seafood.
Looking for a great place to buy seafood online? Try Louisiana Crawfish Co! We are the top shipper of live crawfish in the state and have been providing customers with high-quality seafood for over 30 years. To find out more or ask questions, contact us at 888-522-7292 or email us at info@LACrawfish.com.
