Shrimp is, without question, the most popular seafood in the United States, and it has been for years. Yet it can be the most confusing type of seafood to buy.
No wonder. It comes in all types of preparations: head-on, headless, peels on, peeled and deveined, white, pink, wild-caught, farm-raised — the list goes on. You can buy it cooked or uncooked, fresh or frozen, seasoned or unseasoned. It's a lot to absorb in the two seconds you have to shop for dinner on a busy weeknight.
While there is a lot to consider, and a wealth of information for anyone willing to do a deep dive (pardon the pun), here is a quick glance at the ins-and-outs of buying shrimp.
Almost all the shrimp you buy at the supermarket was frozen at the time it was caught or harvested. That means the thawed shrimp at the fish counter is the same shrimp you can find in bags in the freezer section. The only difference? You have no way of knowing how long ago the shrimp at the fish counter has been thawed.
Also, shrimp is often treated with chemical solutions to keep it looking good and/or to cause it to absorb water. That's like putting a finger on the scale, as it can increase its weight by up to 10%. One easy way to tell if chemicals have been applied is to look at the ingredient list on the bag of frozen shrimp. It should include one word: shrimp.
Shell on or shell off is up to you, but I buy mine with the shell on. If I'm not cooking the shrimp directly in the shells, I'm saving them in the freezer for stock, which gives my soups, chowders or sauces an extra hit of seafood flavor.
Sustainability is a huge and important issue in the seafood industry. Should you buy wild-caught? Is farm-raised bad for the environment? The answers are not always obvious, so do a little research before buying your shrimp. One good resource is the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch (seafoodwatch.org). It's also worth asking the person behind your local fish counter if they are relying on organizations like Seafood Watch when it comes to sourcing their seafood.
One last thing: Precooked shrimp is almost always overcooked, flavor-free and rubbery. Don't buy it. Shrimp is quick and easy to prepare, so do it yourself. You'll be happy you did.