Shrimp must be on everyone’s list of favorite summer foods. Even though they’re available year round, something about eating shrimp during the summer just reminds us of beach vacations, sitting in a dockside restaurant peeling boiled shrimp at the end of a long day in the sun.
Tips on Buying Shrimp
Unless you are sure you are buying FRESH not THAWED, it’s preferable to buy shrimp frozen. Fresh is rare and thawed shrimp has a shelf life of only a couple of days. If you are going to go with shrimp that have been frozen and thawed, better to just buy frozen as they will retain their quality for several weeks. Some more tips on buying the tastiest shrimp:
- Avoid peeled and deveined shrimp; cleaning before freezing may cause a loss of flavor and texture.
- Avoid brown shrimp, especially large ones, as they can taste of iodine, a naturally occurring mineral.
- Shrimp of from 15 or 20-30 per pound usually give the best combination of flavor, ease, and value.
- Shrimp should have no black spots on their shell.
- Avoid shrimp with yellowing shells or those that feel gritty, both may indicate the use of a bleaching agent to remove melanosis.
- Shrimp should be firm and fill the shell fully when thawed.
18 Shrimp Recipes to Try This Summer
Shrimp are quick and easy to cook, healthy and low calorie, and if you’re like most of us, a frequent menu item. Since it’s easy to get stuck in a recipe rut, here are some of our favorite shrimp recipes for summer so you can try something new:
Grilled shrimp tacos with avocado salsa
Grilled coconut and pineapple sweet chili shrimp
Coconut shrimp with sweet chili sauce
Shrimp and greens salad with yogurt avocado dressing
Lemon risotto with grilled shrimp
