ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Top 5 Tips To Buying Fresh Fish And Other Seafood

Updated on June 15, 2011

FISH MARKET

Fish is recommended for most age groups as it provides protein, itamins and minerals. Besides, the health benefits of eating fish regularly far outweigh the need to skip them on grounds of not liking them. The American Dietetic Association and The American Heart Association have recommended that a person needs to consume atleast two servings of fish twice a week in order to remain healthy and lower the risk of health conditions such as heart disease and depression, asthma, arthritis and cancer. The omega 3 fatty acid present in fatty fish such as mackerel, sardines, lake trout,herring and albacore tuna are better absorbed by our bodies and protect against several diseases including those that are age-related.

To get the maximum benefit from the fish we eat, it is necessary to buy the freshest of fish. All seafood taste good if cooked and eaten within a few hours of being caught. So, what do we need to know about getting the best buy at the fish market. The first and most important to not is the smell at the market. If the seafood displayed is stale, the stale smell that hits you as you enter is to be taken seriously and you would do well to turn back without buying.

It would be wise for you to plan ahead what you are to prepare for the day in order to choose the right type of seafood. Some like to decide after selecting their fish according to availability and freshness.

Top 5 Tips For Selecting A Fish

Firmness : Fish must be firm to the touch and not squishy.

Smell : Fish should smell fresh.

Eye : The eyes of the fish should be clear and not sunken.

Scales : The scales covering the fish should be shiny and not dull.

Gills : Lift up the gills to see that the gills are red and moist.

Check for any discoloration or liquid oozing out. Best avoided in such cases.

Choosing Seafood

Making friends with your regular fish monger is your best bet to buying the freshest seafood. He will let you know when the varieties you want have arrived and guide you in making the freshest of purchases.

Choosing Fish Fillets

Smell is an important factor here as well. Make sure it smells fresh. If the skin is saved, see that is shiny and metallic like that of a fresh fish. The should be no milky liquid on a fillet as it indicates that it is rotting. If allowed, press the fillet with your finger. It should spring back and leave no fingerprint.

Choosing Live Fish, Crab, Lobster

See that they are alive and not sulking. If motionless or not scampering around, it shows they have been in the tank for too long. Lobsters and crab are known to starve themselves in captivity over time and such seafood will have little meat when you crack open the shell.

Choosing Shellfish

These are live and should react when placed on countertop and tapped. It should close tighter than before. Oysters,clams and mussels are chosen thus.

Choosing Crayfish and Shrimp

It would be wise to buy with the head on and whole as it will remain moist and intact. Otherwise it will rot fast.

Squid, Octopus and Cuttlefish

Best bought frozen but if genuinely fresh,go ahead and treat yourself.


working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)