How to Tell If Boiled Shrimp Is Fresh?

The freshest shrimp you can buy is shrimp that is still alive. Fresh live shrimp are a grey-olive or pink-tan color with translucent flesh. Shrimp that is sold frozen is generally boiled first before it is packaged. Frozen boiled shrimp can be purchased in 1-pound and 5-pound bags. These bags will have the shrimp's country of origin and a packaging date on them. The date is a good indicator to start with when you are trying to figure out how old the boiled shrimp is.

Instructions

• 1

  Inspect the packaging that the boiled shrimp came in. Frozen shrimp should be in plastic bags that are moisture- and vapor-proof. The packaging should cling tightly to the product and be without a lot of air. If there are ice crystals, it means that the frozen shrimp has thawed and has been refrozen. Boiled shrimp in bags with ice crystals are not fresh and should be discarded, as they are not safe to eat.

• 2

  Look for a packaging date on the boiled shrimp bag. Frozen shrimp are good for 12 months after they were packaged. Frozen shrimp without a packaging date is generally sold by seafood departments in grocery stores. Some grocery stores purchase frozen shrimp and thaw them and put them out on ice in a display so that they can be sold by the pound. Unfortunately, there is a chance that shrimp sold in this manner have not be handled carefully and may have reached a temperature that is high enough to encourage bacteria to grow. If the staff doesn't know whether the shrimp has been handled properly, don't purchase it.

• 3

  Examine the boiled shrimp. If the boiled shrimp has had their heads removed, the flesh or meat of the shrimp should be white in color. If the meat has dry looking spots on it, it has either been freezer burned or it is contaminated and should not be eaten. The shells of the shrimp should be translucent and moist. If the shells are dull or dry, the boiled shrimp is not fresh and should not be eaten.

• 4

  Look at the shell of the boiled shrimp. Does it have any discoloring on it? If the shrimp still have their heads intact, are the heads slightly black and discolored and the tail meat translucent? If so, it is safe to eat. Shrimp shells should not be slippery, or have black spots or edges. If it does, it is not fresh and you should not consume it.

• 5

  Smell the shrimp. Does it smell like the sea? Or does it smell off, or have a strong ammonia-like odor? All edible seafood should smell like the ocean. A fishy, ammonia odor means that the shrimp is not fresh.