Everything You Need to Know About Purchasing & Preparing Shrimp

It comes to no surprise that seafood is the nation’s most popular protein of choice. In the United States alone over 6.3 billion pounds of seafood is being consumed on an annual basis.1 Between the health benefits, nutritional value, and savory taste, there are so many reasons to incorporate seafood into your everyday diet. For some people, the only downside to eating seafood at home is knowing how to properly cook and prepare their favorite shellfish dishes. That’s why, in this blog, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about purchasing and preparing one of America’s favorite seafood species – shrimp!

Before we dive into the deep end, let’s go over the best practices for purchasing shrimp. Like people, shrimp come in a variety of shapes and sizes. In fact, there is a shrimp sizing chart that ranges from extra small, small, medium, large and goes all the way up to extra colossal. The type of shrimp you choose should depend on the dish you’re trying to create or recipe you’re following. For example, pink shrimp that fit in the small category are typically used when making a creamy shrimp salad due to their subtle yet sweet taste.

After you decide what type and size of shrimp you’re looking for, it’s important to consider the pros and cons of buying fresh or frozen. While cooking with fresh shrimp has been known to enhance its flavor and texture, finding fresh shrimp at your local market or grocery store can be a challenge. That’s why frozen shrimp are often seen as the more popular choice due to its efficacy and ease of access. With NaturalShrimp you get the best of both worlds by having fresh, land-based gourmet-grade shrimp directly to your doorstep. NaturalShimp has developed the first commercially viable system for growing shrimp in enclosed, salt-water systems, using patented technology to produce fresh, naturally grown shrimp, without the use of antibiotics or toxic chemicals. Click here to place your freshly harvested gourmet-grade shrimp order today.

Once you have the shrimp in your possession, knowing how to tell if it is safe or unsafe to eat is vital to your health and well-being since shrimp are highly perishable. Good raw shrimp should have a slightly translucent color and the flesh, and the shell should have a glossy finish, according to Smarter Home Baker.2 Shrimp that have a slight iodine smell is normal. However, overbearing iodine smells with elements of ammonia are warning signs that your shrimp may be unsafe to eat. Consuming “bad” shrimp can lead to shellfish poisoning accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea so make sure to do your sniffing due diligence.

If your shrimp passes the smell test, the next step in the prepping process is removing the shell from the body. You can do this by sliding your thumb where the legs are at the bottom of the shrimp and gently pulling up to remove the shell. Next, to devein shrimp, simply make a small cut down the back of the shrimp using a paring knife. You can then use a spoon or your thumb and index figure to remove the shrimp’s intestinal tract which looks like a skinny dark tube. After the hard work is done, rinse your freshly peeled shrimp with cool water and enjoy cooking!

¹“U.S. Fisheries by the Numbers.” FishWatch, https://www.fishwatch.gov/sustainable-seafood/by-the-numbers#:~:text=The%20United%20States%20is%20the,of%200.2%20pounds%20from%202018.
²“How Long Can Raw Shrimp Sit out? .” SmarterHomeMaker.Com, 12 Sept. 2022, https://www.smarterhomemaker.com/how-long-can-raw-shrimp-sit-out/.

Gary Shover

I am one of the few lucky recipients that received some of the most beautiful shrimp during a shipping trial…. and when I say lucky and beautiful, I am not exaggerating.The shrimp arrived in a sealed Styrofoam container and the temperature was 37 degrees. I then went to the store and purchased some regular shrimp. Sadly, the guy working the counter did not know where the shrimp originated from. After cleaning both the store bought shrimp and the Natural Shrimp I set about cooking and did so with a skillet and the grill…. The taste of Natural Shrimp was outstanding when compared to the store bought shrimp the taste comparison was as different as night and day. The texture and taste was shrimply outstanding… The store bought shrimp was gritty and had little flavor versus NaturalShrimp that was tasty and buttery smooth. After eating Natural Shrimps product, I will never eat store bought shrimp again and gladly rate this a 5 star product.

Randy Tye

I live on the Gulf Coast and regularly purchase fresh caught wild shrimp right off of the shrimp boat and I have had the pleasure of eating Natural Shrimp numerous times. There is no comparison in the quality. Natural Shrimp is gourmet quality and I highly recommend it.

Allen Frank

I have had the pleasure of tasting the Natural Shrimp on 3 separate occasions. I normally buy my shrimp from a small shop located in San Leon, Texas on the Gulf Coast right on the water that gets their shrimp ” Right off the boat”. I like that since I know they are American caught shrimp, and the boats are tied up next to the store. I can honestly say that the Natural Shrimp is BY FAR taster and has NO odor than the shrimp I normally buy from the store. They have a sweet and buttery taste. As a big plus there is no need to de-vein the shrimp also. There is NO visible vein to remove…..I can honestly rate these tasty shrimp as a HUGE 5 STAR.

Steve & Deb Salmen

My husband and I drove 12 hours to purchase shrimp from Natural Shrimp. We were not disappointed in our purchase. The shrimp was extremely clean, no odor and had a good flavor. We’re looking forward to purchasing more in the near future. 5 stars!

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Gary Shover

Randy Tye

Allen Frank

Steve & Deb Salmen

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