How do you get GREAT seafood if you live in a state nowhere near the ocean?
 

Do you just buy the fresh frozen from your local giant grocery?

Do certain giant groceries carry better seafood?

Do you order online from ocean front stores?

Do you buy from a local boutique shop that flies in fresh seafood daily?



I just bought fresh frozen stuffed clams from the local grocery and they were bad. I knew it was risky, but I gambled and lost. They looked damn good though@!

I've learned to NEVER buy any seafood from the window at a grocery. If anything, buy flash frozen that has NEVER THAWED! But real fresh - REAL FRESH RULES!


Thanks for the tips!

I can't help ya as I have lived on the East coast all my life.



:)

I'm jealous!

I bet you would be horrified if you walked into a grocery and saw the rotting stuff they try to sell us in the land locked states.

Awwwwww I feel for ya, come and see us in NC and we'll take you out.



:)

Find somewhere that ships it in frequently. They aren't cheap but they are worth it :)

In addition, there are several specialty markets in the ATL area that sell live seafood.

Also remember that some seafood (like Alaskan crab) gets frozen almost immediately so buying it in Alaska really isn't any fresher than buying it in Indiana.

FedEx is a wonderful thing if you like food that's not local to where you live :)

THANK YOU!

I worry though that I would never be able to go back. I might just show up at your house with a loaded moving van, ready to unpack and eat great seafood! :thumbsup

Well bing your ass on! We went out had had the best oysters the othe night, they were huge.


:thumbsup

I will try the overnight shipping!! Thank you!!!

The Alaskan crab is about the only thing I can get here that probably tastes like it should. But, the stores often break open a deep frozen box and set some out in the window, where they thaw and get nasty. Then they bag up the Crab that they have thawed and put it out on "Special" and try to move it that way.

I bought a full unopened box of Crab legs from the deepfreeze, it was over $100 but it was worth it! GOOD CRAB!

I go to Safeway to buy it

I've been lucky...I grew up in Sacramento which is just a couple hours from San Fran with great seafood. Then I was stationed in the Army in Texas with great seafood off the coast. Now I'm in NC and still get good quality.

We should plan a night out at the 42 st oyster bar! hmmmm :)

If you are a shrimp fan always buy frozen it is usually fresher than the "fresh" because it is flash frozen. Other than that I have no idea when I lived in Colorado I did not eat any seafood lol. Im glad I am back on the east coast.

Sounds great I love oysters.


:thumbsup

Ok, here is an ignorant question from an ocean-less state . . . .

exactly how do you eat oysters? Do you cut them up? Do you chew them? Do you just swallow them whole?

Sad, I know . . . . but I am in Ohio. I eat bologna.

Thank you! I suspected that. I've bought the shrimp in the grocery window display - NOT GOOD.

I've bought frozen bags of shrimp that seem to be pretty good. I need to test brands, and sizes and types of shrimp.

HEY, do you mean frozen uncooked or frozen cooked? I haven't tried frozen uncooked yet. That might be the best way to go (?).

swallow them whole!

P.S. Just came back from my favorite seafood joint $130.00 for four people and i included a $25.00 tip.

frozen uncooked are usually frozen right after catch and sometimes on the boat. :thumbsup

I just got done watching a "Deadliest Catch" marathon...now I want some King crab hmmmm

Never buy precooked, they are treated with liquid ickyness.

A little harder to find but when you buy shrimp see if you can buy it in ice blocks and not individually frozen. Also best with heads on still or at a minimum tail shell on.

Forget brands really, just look at point of origin. Otherwise you may end up with shrimp from China, Chili, etc. Just like a lot of tilapia and other fish comes from Costa Rica and the list goes on. Every bag, box, or whatever of shrimp, fish, mollusks always have a point of origin on them somewhere. If you do not see one, skip it.

Excellent! Will do. THANKS!

best advice so far

I'm so hungry . . . . and jealous!

BTW you can get quality shellfish, mollusks, salmon, whatever from internet companies with fedex. Fish typically will arrive frozen (so will most crab & shrimp) but rest ships well live.

As for the clams, mussels, oysters (all mollusks). They ship very damn well live and last several days out of water and many are now farm raised too. Just get them by the bag and keep in mind every single bag is required to have a ticket attached to it stating a lot number, when caught, where, etc. Many stores can get these bags for you via request.

Raw and roasted are my favorites. Growing up in FL we would have an oyster roast most every weekend. Battered and fried aren't bad either :thumbsup

first of all most of what you buy as seafood even in states with ocean coastlines is farm raised in India or China so it doesn't make much difference.

The only way to be sure you have fresh seafood is to catch it yourself.

Now if you are knowledgeable about fresh fish the best way to tell if its fresh is to smell it. have the seafood guy hand you the filet and give it a good sniff. but if you have never cleaned fish and have no idea what FRESH fish should smell like it wont help much. As a general rule if it smells like fish it isnt fresh. If it has no smell it is reasonably fresh and if it has no smell with a very faint hint of blood odor it probably has never even been frozen.

Thank you!


I will employ this technique for sure!

Move to Seattle :)