How to Prepare Fresh Shimp for Freezing

How to prepare freshly caught shrimp or freshly bought shrimp for freezing.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• wax paper
• plastic freezer container
• size of container based on amount of shrimp

1. Rinse shrimp quickly under cool water.

2. Lay shrimp flat on glass or ceramic plate, because bacteria can live on wood, then remove heads with a sharp knife.

3. Place sheet of wax paper, cut to fit in plastic freezer container, inside freezer container.

4. Carefully place shrimp on wax paper, one at a time. Make sure that they are not touching. Placing them in rows, next to each other, will store more in the container. Be sure to work fast because raw seafood contains
   bacteria normally killed during cooking. Frozen with the shells on will give the best quality taste after unfreezing and cooking. However, for a hectic lifestyle, removing the shells by cutting off the legs, putting a knife under the shell to remove it and then removing the black vein on the back with a knife, rinsing lightly again and freezing will have the shrimp ready for cooking after thawing.

5. After placing the shrimp on the wax paper sheet, cut another sheet and place it on top of the shrimp. Repeat the process by making another layer of shrimp, covering with wax paper until the container is full. ending with wax paper, leaving at least one quarter inch of space on top/

Tips & Warnings

• Work fast because fresh seafood is perishable and can spoil rapidly. Freezing in a free-standing freezer is best because small freezers attatched to refrigerators do not hold the cold as well since the door is opened frequently. If you have to use the freezer attatched to the refrigerator. be sure to use the shrimp within a month. A freezer that can hold a temperature of zero degrees is optimal.
• Be sure to not touch anything without washing your hands first, then wash them again before handling the shrimp. After finishing, thoroughly wash all plates and utensils in hot, soapy water. Use diluted bleach, thirty percent bleach and seventy percent water or any spray window cleaner, wiping up with a paper towel or anything paper that can be thrown away, to clean the counter area or any area where the raw shrimp were handled.