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Buying some typical Christmas foods days before the holidays can mean significant savings in your shopping cart. This is the case with seafood and fish, which in the days leading up to the festivities can even double in price.
Being proactive, buying in advance and freezing also allows you to save time and choose the best products. However, you have to know some freezing guidelines so that the food preserves all its properties and flavor once thawed to be consumed.
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To freeze seafood you need to have a freezer that allows you to keep it at -18 degrees or below. If the refrigerator has a deep freezing option, this must be activated when the product is introduced. This way, the temperature will drop quickly and ice crystals will not form.
From Seafood O Grove they give some tricks to achieve perfect freezing depending on the product. Thus, they recommend that some bivalves, such as Galician sea bass, oysters and scallopsThey are eaten fresh. But if this is not the case, to freeze them you need to store them raw in vacuum bags and place them in the freezer.
In the case of larger molluscs, such as crabs, lobsters or king crabs, it is recommended to freeze them cooked so that they do not lose their flavor. These crustaceans must be purchased alive, once dead they are cooked and set aside until they cool. When they are at room temperature Wrap them in a cloth dampened with cooking water and place them in a vacuum bag. In the case of crabs, they must be stored with their legs up to avoid losing their juice, according to Mariscos O Grove.
To the Shrimps, crayfish or scampi can also be frozen raw and cooked and there is no need to peel them, as they can be frozen with the skin on.
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If any of the seafood purchased in advance they will be cooked on the grill, it is better to freeze them raw.
In case of cockles, razor clams, clams or mussels, it is recommended to clean the shells and remove the “beards”. They freeze alive, but not before checking that there are none dead or in bad condition.
To defrost all these products, both cooked and raw, you must place them in the refrigerator at least 12 hours beforehand and consume them within 24 hours.
A cheaper option for eating seafood at Christmas parties is to buy it already frozen.. In the case of vacuum-packed products, there are two methods for defrosting them. The first is to put them in the refrigerator several times beforehand. The second, immerse them in cold water from the inside without removing the packaging. This way, the defrosting process is faster.
For your part, raw seafood frozen in the shell, such as prawns and prawns, can be placed in salt water and some ice until completely defrosted.
It is important to remember that No food should be defrosted at room temperature on the kitchen counter.
