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I have no issues at all using frozen shrimp. I typically have a bag in the freezer.

I live in the midwest, so there's no such thing as "fresh" shrimp. Frozen works for me.

Also, if you live inland and buy "fresh" shrimp which has been frozen and then thawed, you have no idea of knowing how long ago that thawing took place. I find that shrimp much older than a day or so lose their sweetness and are therefore pretty blah.

Yeah... all shrimp is frozen. On the boats that catch them, I think, so even if you live on the beach, unless you net them yourself, you're eating frozen. I think maybe the question is about whether they're cooked and frozen...

And there, I'm not so sure. Freezing anything twice is bound to be bad for taste and texture.

Being a Floridian I can get fresh shrimp but there's always the chance they are lying to you and selling you frozen shrimp from China that has been thawed. I'd rather go to a retailer I trust and pay for good domestic frozen shrimp than take my chances.

Same for buying any expensive fish like grouper, there's a good chance you are getting cheated so stick with a retailer you can trust and buy what they offer.

I don't eat shrimp anyway, never did like them all that much and fishing for them is incredibly destructive to the marine environment, possibly the most destructive form of fishing.

Three rules for purchasing frozen shrimp:

1.) Must be WILD (not farm raised)

2.) Must be IQF (individually quick frozen)

3.) No smaller than 16-20 (aka "jumbo")

I always keep a bag of wild, IQF 16-20s in the freezer. Perfect for quick, easy weeknight stir fry dinner, to stretch leftover takeout Chinese, quick shrimp cocktail, etc...

I live on the coast, but still use frozen shrimp all the time! Their benefits really out weigh the fresh from. They thaw quickly and still maintain a good texture and quality. Normally, I would go for fresh when purchasing seafood, but frozen shrimp still seem to cut it for me!

My problem with those bags of frozen shrimp is that the shrimp are usually treated with something. The one time I bought them, they were too salty to eat. I would swear that I saw on America's Test Kitchen that you can get untreated frozen shrimp but I've never seen them in any market I've shopped in.

With any frozen product, such as shrimp, two issues are paramount: how they are frozen, and how they are thawed. You don't really have much control over the first, but for reasons I will not go into, "flash" freezing is superior and the sooner after caught the better. But you do control the thawing. Common advice is to place the shrimp (or other product) under a stream of cold water. Don't do it, except in a pinch----because it degrades quality. The ideal way to thaw is slowly under refrigeration---like overnight, or pulled out of the freezer in the morning, if you are using that night. This slow thaw allows for a minimum loss of internal moisture-- the biggest threat from thawing. Have you ever thawed something at room temperature and found the product in a pool of water? Did you ever wonder where that water came from? Well, basically, if came from inside the product due to cellular breakdown in the freeze/thaw process,and you need to do everthing you can to minimize this effect. You can't eliminate it, but you can certainly reduce it. "Flash" freeze, slow thaw.

I follow the same rules as Truff, and almost always have a bag in the freezer. Even living on the coast with ready access to a good amount of fresh seafood, it's difficult to find never-been-frozen shrimp.

Just had some tonight, pan seared and served with pasta and pesto with fresh-from-the-CSA-share basil.

I live in California, so I have access to a lot of fresh stuff. Frozen shrimp is something I just can't do. It HAS to be fresh. I'll admit it... I'm spoiled.

The costco frozen are amazing in quality.

I too am spoiled. We have a fishmonger in our market, who sells fresh, never-frozen prawns when he can get them, and only when he can get them. I'm sure our local Chinese restaurant uses frozen, and for their prices I would have no right to complain.

My father-in-law runs a shipping company, and is paid quite well (under the table) to drive as fast as possible to carry crates of prawns, langoustines and oysters on ice from the shore to a certain restaurant at about 6 a.m.

Interesting bit of trivia: there was a fish market in London which, prior to licence reform, had a pub with a 'reverse licence'. It opened at 11 at night and closed at 11 in the morning.

@Joerob7 you are absolutely correct, thawing is where frozen will be worse for wear than fresh. I live in Shanghai. which gets me both fresh and frozen shrimps. The problem with frozen shrimps is that if you thaw them out improperly (too fast) the shrimp will lose its elasticity and bite, instead becoming powdery or dusty in texture. Anyone else know what I mean?

Ooh, this is a good chance to pass on my favourite tip regarding prawns (and shellfish in general). Sautee them in butter and garlic (gently) and add a few split vanilla beans...they nicely complement the saltiness of the fish and the taste of the garlic. Alternatively, you can marinate them in garlic, olive oil and vanilla before grilling.

I only have access to frozen shrimp, and I seldom buy cooked ones. However, Aldi's cooked shrimp isn't half bad and it's quite inexpensive. I don't much like trying to cook with it, but I'm trying to watch what I eat and it sure does make a healthy snack dipped in a little cocktail sauce.

Hope the moderators forgive me for straying off topic here, but can one buy pine nuts in the US that don't come from China? I know I can't avoid food with Chinese ingredients, but at least I can avoid things that are clearly labeled.

Actually, topics surrounding food origins, safety and/or sustainability might be an interesting idea for their own thread.

The real question is:

Cooked frozen or Raw?

I always go frozen raw.

My family fished commercially growing up, and I also lived on a farm where shrimp were raised. Eating fresh shrimp most of my life has ruined me. I think freezing seafood leaves it flavorless. To make it worse, restaurants and prepared food makers are always trying to mask the fact that the shrimp are flavorless after so much time from water to plate. They put too much garlic, breading, and other strong flavors that interfere with the shrimps great texture and flavor.

I never buy frozen shrimp and rarely eat it in restaurants unless I know the place gets it from the sea.

I like to use them in my Asian Soups; probably the only time tho

As just about everyone else has already remarked:
1) There is no such thing as "fresh" shrimp unless one gets them right at the dock, since essentially all shrimp you can buy at the markets are pre-frozen or were once frozen.
2) I always keep a bag in my freezer. I often make a soup, then throw a handful straight into the broth with some Thai chiles, ginger, a squirt of Siracha and whatever else is on hand. Tom Yum-ish, I guess.

Luckily, I live within 10 miles of the Pacific Ocean, so fresh shrimp aren't quite an extravagance. I will say that uncooked, peeled, tail-on shrimp rock since they tend to be a whole lot cheaper than the fresh variety and much easier to work with. They work remarkably well as a mix-in for paella and stir frys, but I'd never use 'em for ceviche.

I am of the opinion that location of harvest is more important to me than fresh or frozen. Atlantic coast shrimp taste better than foreign or gulf shrimp can't say about Pacific shrimp. I buy during the shrimp season only and when I find really tasty shrimp, I freeze them. They still taste fine upon defrosting.

these types of posts are offensive.

they are nonsense. they offer no basis in actual industrial process. they offer no quality analysis.

get your heads out of your asses and do something marginally close to journalism.

otherwise, quit the bullshit business.

@Carey Jones: so get in the business of informing people.

these types of posts don't foster conversation, they foster confusion. lots of the posts on this site do that. it's both frustrating and off putting to be part of an audience that's being treating that way.

there wasn't any analysis. there wasn't any background info. there was only regurgitation and that was pretty limited.

there isn't any controversy to teach here. even the concept is ridiculous, but that's the lazy and insulting presentation i keep seeing here.

raise the bar and quit dumbing down your content.

dbisping, if this site is so distasteful to you, why don't you just drop out - you sound pretty offensive in your defensiveness - I'm sure you could find the information you so badly need, starting with good manners, by googling. I am almost 90 years of age and am always amazed by disgruntled people like you who feel superior for no valid reason.

HI everyone, fun to read all these comments on this topic I wrote since I didn't get nearly as many comments on my site (although some people clearly did not read what Carey or I wrote).

Wondering if anyone has any recommendations on sources for frozen scallops since I haven't found one I liked yet. I had written them off after a few bad experiences but several people here seem to have had good experiences.

Here's a tip for the lovers of fresh shrimp who can only get them in season. We used to go to the shore in NC and get them right off the boat and in those days they were fresh, heads-on. We would buy 100 lbs--back then they were $2.00/lb--and then eat our fill. With the rest, we would use a "paper" milk carton, fill it with sea water, and freeze them. If you thawed out a carton--placed it in the fridge over night--you could eat the shrimp in cocktail or any way you wanted, and they tasted the same as they did fresh. Now, this was in the '60s, so I don't know about the pollution factor of sea water these days, and don't live in NC anymore. However, in SoFL we do get fresh Key West pink shrimp every now and then and they are great. On the west coast, if I get over there, I try to get fresh gulf shrimp--big ones! They are truly excellent as shrimp cocktail.

Cheers!

I have no problems with frozen shrimp that are wild caught from the USA. I won't go near farm raised and/or imported shrimp. The link below is an article written by Jim Carrier for Orion Magazine. If you love shrimp it is important that you take the time to read this article. Thanks to Mark Bittman for bringing it to my attention. Now, read and learn:
http://thirdcoastcuisine.blogspot.com/2009/09/shrimp-truth.html

A little fun fact: Sushi grade fish is always previously frozen to kill any potential harmful parasites. There really is no such thing as fresh seafood when you buy it in stores. And many of us have never tasted fresh shrimp since we don't catch and cook it ourselves on the same day.