Buying Shrimp

Shrimp is highly perishable. Select firm shrimp with a mild scent. If there is any hint of the aroma of ammonia, it is a sign the shrimp is way past its prime. Commercially-sold shrimp is defrosted, in which case the flesh will appear opaque. Truly fresh shrimp will have almost translucent flesh.

Do not confuse the term "fresh" with never-frozen. Truth be told, you probably will be unable to find never-frozen shrimp fresh from the ocean these days unless you have a shrimper friend or net it yourself. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Nowadays, shrimp is harvested, cleaned, and flash frozen on the boats before they ever reach the shore. This makes for a fresher product, until it reaches the market.

Once it reaches the market, you are at the mercy of the handlers. If it goes right into the freezer, all is well. If you are buying from the seafood counter, there is no telling how long that shrimp has been defrosted, although icing it does help. You are better off buying frozen shrimp and defrosting it yourself in the refrigerator. It does not take long to defrost.

Shrimp Sizing Guide

This shrimp sizing chart is for buying frozen or fresh shrimp in the shell without the head on. All shrimp are sold by sizes, whether they are sold by the actual count or by a name such as jumbo or extra large.

It's good to know what the marketable name is and the count of shrimp per pound the goes with it.

Good markets or grocers will label the shrimp both ways to help you determine the size you are buying. For example a Jumbo Shrimp would have 21 to 25 shrimp per pound.

Shrimp Size	Count (per pound) (U = Under)	Labeling I've seen at the stores	Average Per Pound	Number Per Serving	Servings Per Pound (around 4 oz. per serving)
Extra Colossal	U/10		5	3	about 2
Super Colossal	U/12		9	3	3
Colossal	U/15	Colossal	14	4	3 - 4
Extra Jumbo	16/20		18	5	3 - 4
Jumbo	21/25	Jumbo	23	6	4
Extra Large	26/30	Extra Large	28	7	4
Large	31/35	Large	33	8	4
Medium Large	36/40	Large	38	10	about 4
Medium	41/50		45	12	about 4
Small	51/60	Medium	55	14	about 4
Extra Small	61/70		65	16	4