196 Part II: Now You’re Cooking! Healthy and Hearty Dishes
the fish springs back up when you press down on it. Beware of “fresh frozen,”
which is just a marketing term used for selling frozen fish.
Frozen fish typically comes IQF, individual quality frozen, which means each
piece of fish is frozen separately and bagged together. This allows you to take
out what you need and leave the remainder for another meal. You may also
find cryovact frozen fish, which means that each single serving or piece of fish
is sealed inside airtight plastic wrap. All frozen fish has an expiration date, so
make sure you check the date before you buy.
Due to high demand for fish and seafood around the world, many types are
overfished or caught or farmed in destructive ways, which can lead to damaged
ecosystems and possible extinction of some species. To find out the best
choices when shopping for seafood, check out the Seafood Watch guide put
out by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, available at http://www.seafoodwatch.org.
Storing tips
To properly store fresh fish and seafood, follow these steps:
- Remove from store wrapping.
- Wipe its surface with a damp cloth. If the fish is whole, wash and pat dry.
- Wrap food in wax paper and place in a tightly covered container.
- Refrigerate immediately at 34 to 36 degrees.
For long-term storage, freeze immediately.
Here are some tips for storing frozen fish and seafood:
✓ If in a sealed package (not store-packaged), keep products in their
original sealed packages and store immediately in the freezer.
✓ Keep store-packaged products in their original wrapping and seal inside
an airtight freezer bag or container. Store immediately in the freezer.
✓ Store at 0 degrees or lower.
✓ Use within the following recommended storage periods:
- Lean fish (cod, Dover sole, haddock, snapper): 6 months
- Medium-fat fish (halibut, sea bass, orange roughy): 4 months
- Fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mahi-mahi): 2 months
- Shrimp: 4 months
