The Best Ways to Keep Your Shellfish Fresh

Seafood is a healthier choice than beef or poultry, but it is also more perishable. The best way to keep your shellfish fresh is to give yourself a head start. If you live in Connecticut, Maine, or Rhode Island, you are fortunate to be in range for shopping at City Fish Market LLC. This fish market has been perfecting the art of keeping seafood as fresh as humanly possible since the 1930s! Once this freshest of fresh seafood is unloaded from the grocery bags at home, what is the best way for you to keep your shellfish fresh? Tips follow.

How Long Will Shellfish Stay Fresh?

The freshness guarantee on shellfish is so brief that experts often recommend eating it on the day purchased or delivered. Of course, that isn’t always possible. No worries. Shellfish can be safely stored for at least a few days or up to 2 weeks. It depends on how well it has been preserved up to the point you bring it home and whether you are storing oysters, mussels, or clams.

What Do I Do with Shellfish to Keep Them Fresh?

When it is delivered or you bring your shellfish home, immediately remove it from the packaging. First, place the fresh shellfish in a bowl. Cover them with a damp paper towel or damp cloth. Place them in the salad drawer at the bottom of your refrigerator. 

Note: Make sure you do not place them in freshwater. That is not the recommended way to keep live shellfish.

Test Shellfish for Freshness

If you get your shellfish from City Fish Market, freshness won’t be a problem. But if you ordered shellfish from another online source and had them delivered, this is what you look for:

• They should be tightly closed. This is a clear indication that they are alive and fresh.
• If any are open, knock them against a hard surface. If they respond by closing their shell slowly, that’s good. Any shellfish that don’t close should be thrown out. 
• Another test is to squeeze opened shellfish between your thumb and forefinger. Any of them that don’t close should be discarded.

Oysters Insights

Only oysters that are still alive can be kept fresh. Once an oyster is deceased, it must be eaten within a few hours. A dead oyster is one that has been opened and the organs and liquor have been exposed to air. If they are recently harvested and properly stored, unshucked oysters can be kept fresh for as long as 2 weeks. 

Clam Secrets

Clams often must be eaten within 48 hours, due to their short span of freshness. In the meantime, they need to breathe to stay alive. This means you should not keep them in a sealed bag.

Tips for Mussel Freshness

Depending on how they were harvested and shipped, mussels can be kept fresh for up to 5 days. However, experts recommend consuming them within 1 or 2 days. Place them in an open container that allows plenty of airflow. Cover with the aforementioned damp cloth, store in the fridge, and eat within 48 hours.

Shop City Fish Market for the Freshest Shellfish

At City Fish Market, we do everything we can to ensure that you can enjoy the freshest seafood in your home. Because of their short “shelf life,” it’s good to know the best ways to keep your shellfish fresh until it is prepped and served. We are at 884 Silas Deane Hwy in Wethersfield, CT. Visit City Fish Market today or call 860-522-3129. You can also opt to fill out our online form. When we deliver, the same unsurpassed standard of freshness is maintained until your seafood order gets to you.