0The New Complete Book of Food
(1.5–2.25 lbs.), and jumbo (over 2.5 lbs.). Cooked lobsters should have a bright-red shell and a
fresh aroma. If the tail curls back when you pull it down, the lobster was alive when cooked.
Female lobsters, which have fluffy fins (“swimmerettes”) at the juncture of tail and body,
may contain roe or coral that turns red when you cook the lobster.
Choose dry, creamy, sweet-smelling scallops; unlike clams, oysters, and mussels, they
can’t be kept alive out of the water. Sea scallops, the large ones, may be sold fresh or frozen;
bay scallops, the smaller shellfish, are usually only sold fresh.
Choose fresh shrimp and prawns that look dry and firm in the shell.
Choose tightly sealed cans of snails.
In 1998, the FDA National Center for Toxicological Research released for testing an
inexpensive indicator called “Fresh Tag.” The indicator, to be packed with seafood, changes
color if the product spoils.
NOTE: Because of the possibility of industrial and microbial contamination of waters,
live shellfish should be gathered only in waters certified by local health authorities.Storing This Food
Refrigerate all shellfish and use as quickly as possible. Like other seafood shellfish are
extremely perishable once they are no longer alive, and their fats, which are higher in unsatu-
rated than saturated fatty acids, will oxidize and turn rancid fairly quickly. As a general rule,
live clams in the shell may keep for up to two weeks, oysters in the shell for five days, shelled
scallops for a day or two, and mussels should be used the day you buy them. Regardless of
these estimates, check the shellfish frequently to see that it is still alive and unspoiled.
Cook live crabs and lobsters before storing to prolong their storage time. Shrimps and
prawns will also stay fresh longer if you cook them before storing them. Use within a day. If
you wait longer, check frequently to see that the crustaceans still look and smell fresh.Preparing This Food
when you are ready to prepare shellfish, sniff them first. if they don’t smell absolutely
fresh, throw them out.
Abalone. Tenderize the abalone meat by pounding, then trim off any dark part, and slice
the fish against the grain.*
Clams. All clams are sandy when you bring them home. To get rid of the grit, wash the
closed clams thoroughly under cold running water. Then either immerse them in a salty
solution (about^1 / 3 cup salt to a gallon of water or sprinkle them with cornmeal and cover them
with water. Refrigerate the clams. They will take in the salt water (or cornmeal) and disgorge
sand Clams covered with salt water will be clean in about half an hour, clams covered with
cornmeal in about three hours. Before serving or cooking, discard any clams that are open or
do not close immediately when you touch them or remain closed or float in the water.* Some abalone are all black. Check with your fish market.