Freezing Shrimp

[pondman]

Anybody have any tips? I'm headed to the coast this weekend and will pick up several pounds and I have yet find a good way to freeze them. Water or without? Ziploc bag? Vacuum sealed bags.

Thanks,

Pond

[GrizwalD]

i just finished putting some up this past weekend .... dehead, rinse, put in ziplock (careful not to puncture bags) cover with water, place in freezer

[cajun squealer]

Don't just throw away the heads. Boil them for several minutes in water with a little salt, strain out the heads retaining the stock, reduce the volume down, then freeze it in an ice tray and store the cubes in a bag. Just toss in your stock cubes for extra flavor when making gumbo, etouffee, seafood sauces, dips, etc.

Like Griz mentioned, be careful not to let the tail spikes puncture the bag. Use a good quality freezer bag, not the cheapo thin ones. I've always placed the bags on a tray or in a bowl just in case you get a pinhole leak.

[GulfCoast]

Folks I know do the above, but put them in milk cartons (you can buy new ones for that purpose around here at the old time places) covered with water to freeze. And do make you some stock with the heads, onions, bell pepper and celery.

[the tree]

I buy mine from a guy in Bayou La Batre, AL. I buy mine headed in 5 pd bags. The shrimpman packages them for freezing. In as much, ask the people you buy them from for suggestions on packaging. Make sure they are surrounded with loose ice during transportation, not simply placed in an igloo with bags of ice. Where you headed?

[LODI QUACKER]

I clean them, place on a cookie sheet, freeze, remove, place in ziplock and you can use however many you want or need. just did about 30 lbs.

[JDgator]

I buy mine from a guy in Bayou La Batre, AL. I buy mine headed in 5 pd bags. The shrimpman packages them for freezing. In as much, ask the people you buy them from for suggestions on packaging. Make sure they are surrounded with loose ice during transportation, not simply placed in an igloo with bags of ice. Where you headed?

I'm in mobile and haven't made it to bayou la batre yet. Where should I go for shrimp down there?

[MudHog]

Freezing shrimp is like freezing vegetables. Depends on how much work you want to do once you defrost them for use. You can dehead, peel, and devane then freeze if you want. That way you go straight to cooking when you defrost them. More work upfront for less work at the time of use.

We dehead and then fill a quart ziplock bag half way with shrimp, then fill to the top with water.

Make sure to write the year of the shrimp while the bags are dry.

[the tree]

Gator, if you dont mind the drive, Chris's Seafood at the end of Bellingrath Rd just before Coden is as good as it gets! In town, on Fridays and Saturday morning, the shrimp man sells good seafood, (shrimp, oysters and crab) in front of produce store at Old Shell and I-65 (across from Dreamland). If you dont mind spending a little extra, there are several folks who you call and they will deliver.

[the tree]

Gator, if you dont mind the drive, Chris's Seafood at the end of Bellingrath Rd just before Coden is as good as it gets! In town, on Fridays and Saturday morning, the shrimp man sells good seafood, (shrimp, oysters and crab) in front of produce store at Old Shell and I-65 (across from Dreamland). If you dont mind spending a little extra, there are several folks who you call and they will deliver.

[pondman]

Thanks for all the replies. I will definitely keep the heads and make stock. I will go right along side the venison stock and duck stock. I like the idea of freezing them individually on the cookie sheet. I may try that.

Pond

[4dawgma]

I just eat them, if I want frozen the store has plenty.

[LODI QUACKER]

Plenty of chinese crap with antibiotics, harmones and chemicals in em... no thanks