Eating freezer-burned shrimps does no harm. There’s no risk of food poisoning even if you accidentally eat them, although you might notice a taste and quality change.
Just like many of you here, we’ve been there too – seeing freezer burns on ingredients, especially those like meats and shrimps. Even when we have tried our best to preserve our food, the situation still (sometimes) finds its way to take place. As a result, it leaves many of us with the question “Can you eat freezer-burned shrimp?”
In today’s post, we’ll get into details about why it’s safe to eat freezer-burned shrimps (as stated above) and answer some related questions.
Related: The most popular types of meat you should know about
Is It Safe To Eat Freezer-burned Shrimp?
We’ve previously answered the question, “Can you eat freezer burn shrimp?” yet do you know why? Here’s a brief explanation:
Typically, freezer burns rise from air encountering your refrigerated ingredients, which leads to dehydration and oxidation. Although the reaction leads to different effects, it does not cause spoilage for your food (in this case, your shrimp). Thus, it’s safe for human consumption.
How To Tell If Shrimp Is Freezer Burn
If your prawns develop white dots or other weird white gunk on the sides while in the refrigerator, they’ve probably got freezer burnt. The changing températures, poor closing, or over freezing may be the culprit of this reaction.
Here’s a complete list of freezer-burned shrimps’ symptoms you usually witness:
- Even when uncooked, your prawns have white specks.
- Their consistency is hard and gritty.
- They have a terrible smell.
- Dehydration results in a rubbery mouthfeel.
- They lose their initially fresh taste.
What Can You Do With Freezer-burned Shrimp?
As mentioned above, due to a hydration loss, one of the most apparent symptoms in freezer burnt shrimps is that they will appear super dry, making chewing more difficult than usual. Thus, the best method is to steam these freezer-burned ingredients, while the worst idea is to fry them.
However, that’s not the only way to go: one could still take several alternative measures to cover such changes.
Nowadays, we can discover many cooking ideas available online or in cookbooks that allow us to disguise the impacts of freezer burns while still helping to prepare a great dinner.
You may also add other dressings to the dish to cover up what the prawns are missing (the hydration). It will also lend the meal more taste which the ingredients lack.
How Do You Prevent Freezer Burn?
When it comes to preventing freezer burns on prawns, careful processing from the supermarket to preservation to eating is critical.
Here’s how to keep shrimp from getting freezer burns:
- When you arrive home, divide your prawns into several packages and put them in the refrigerator or freezer right away since germs overgrow at room temperature.
- Then, carefully cover them with plastic wrap to protect the prawns from getting exposed to the environment. If they’re already packages, apply a second closure just in case there are any unseen rips.
- After that, note the pack before placing it in the refrigerator to minimize over-freezing.
- Refrigerate prawns in the back of the fridge, where it has the lowest temperature to shield them from heat fluctuations when you open the refrigerator.
- Eat fresh frozen shrimp within 3-6 months to enjoy their best condition and freeze them at 0°F for the best storage.
How To Tell If Shrimps Have Gone Bad
The first sign of spoiled shrimp is the smell.
Raw prawns that have gone rotten will exude a fishy stench or the smell of ammonia. Both of these are signs that your ingredients aren’t fresh and, as a result, unsafe to consume. On the other hand, spoiled cooked ones will give off an awful sour odor, which is evident.
Moreover, if they look faded, have tiny black dots, or don’t possess that slightly transparent greyish color, higher chances are that they’ve gone bad. The situation continues with those whose shells fall off.
Any signs of molds or slimy texture are also a great indicator of bad shrimps. In all cases above, we recommend not consuming such shrimps. Instead, toss them away immediately.
How Long Does Shrimp Last In The Freezer?
When carefully stored, frozen prawns can survive for a few months in the fridge. Thus, while we anticipate shop wrapping to be impenetrable and best protect our ingredients, it is not always the scenario.
Thus, the best course of action is to rewrap your prawns and ensure that it remains well-covered and airtight.
Shrimp could survive for a full 6 months with no risk of freezer burn if securely packed and refrigerated. The ideal preservation duration for shrimp is 3-6 months.
Even after 6 months, you can still consume your prawns. The critical thing to remember here is that 6 months is just the optimum time to enjoy the best shrimp. Essentially, it is best-performing advice, but it will stay forever in the fridge if kept appropriately.
Regardless of your best measures, the longer you preserve your shrimps in the refrigerator, the more likely it is to get freezer burns.
Can Previously Frozen Shrimp Be Refrozen?
Yes, you can have your previously frozen shrimp refrozen. However, defrosted prawns possess a limited fridge life, about one to 2 days. Therefore, the less time you thaw them, the better. Keep them in the refrigerator as soon as possible if you don’t intend to process them right away or as soon as you get frozen packages home from the supermarket.
How Do You Thaw Frozen Shrimp?
Shrimp are tiny, and thus you can defrost them quickly. Although several people put them on the countertop to defrost, some believe using water or even the oven is the best way.
Unfortunately, you can’t apply any of those techniques if you want the refrigerating option. Tabletop melting is never appropriate, and you’ll have to process all the prawns shortly after that, whether you utilize water or microwave approaches.
Your fridge, which requires 12 to 24 hours to defrost, is the only acceptable method to thaw prawns. As your refrigerator keeps the heat down below 40 F, your prawns never encounter a risky environment in which they become spoiled when undergoing the thawing process.