Seafood When to buy it fresh

When is the best time to buy fresh seafood is the number one question I get all the time. There are various answers since seafood is a seasonal staple that many of us truly enjoy, I know I do for sure every summer, but if you know when to buy, you can stock up and freeze it for a dinner during the winter months.  So lets go through my guide of when to buy in abundant quantities of fresh seafood for the best value. 

The most consumed seafood in America is Tuna, Shrimp, Cod, Crab, Clams and Lobster, Scallops and Oysters. So lets start with The first and most consumed seafood of America: 

Tuna - Atlantic Blue Fin Tuna is best from June - November

           Albacore Tuna is best from July-October 

          Note: Should you buy canned Tuna be sure to buy it in Oil as it is best preserved in Oil not water.                     Water allows bacteria to be grown inside the can. 

Mahi-Mahi - the fish of Hawaii is known as the warm water fish and is best from April - September 

Shrimp - this seafood product if you didn't' already know is mostly always imported and frozen for                     your consumption. It's season depends on it's location of origin, but mostly from March to                     December. 

Salmon - American Salmon comes from either Alaska or Canada between June and November.                         However, if you have the funds to buy from Scotland their season varies from January to                         October and is some of the best Salmon you'll ever taste in your life. 

Pollack - Alaska seasons are two fold. January to March and then again August to October. 

Cod - Year Round from both Pacific and Atlantic Coasts. Plus Cod is also flash frozen as fish sticks                    and fish cakes in you local supermarket freezer section. Great with both tartar sauce and cocktail             sauce. I grew up with Cod being in a long brick form that my Mom used to bake with lemon and             butter. Love it. 

Crab - Varied seasons based on location: 

            Stone Crab would be October to April from anywhere along the eastern seaboard from                                      Connecticut to the Caribbean 

            SoftShell would be December to August and can be found down in the Deep South regions of                          the United States along the Gulf Coast area of Louisiana and Alabama.  

            Blue Crab Maryland the best April to December 

            King Crab - Alaska October to January

            Snow Crab October to May Note: I don't suggest you try to obtain Snow Crabs for a while as                         they are declining and soon to be on the endangered species list that comes out years from                     NOAA. 

Lobster  - Maine peak season is June to December or Ireland peak season is summer months. 

Scallops - Year round peak from December - March and due to import capabilities they are available in                   either bay or sea scallops year round in the frozen section of your grocery store.

Oysters - Best time to buy and eat is from September to April locally from Eastern Seaboard. My Uncle                 Joe was a professional fisherman and used to say to never buy Oysters out of season as they                    could be harmful to your health. Basically, you'll take your life in your hands if you eat them                 out of season. Since I never liked Oysters, I don't have to worry about that, but please heed his                 warning since he was a professional who used to be out on the sea's for most of the year on                    those big fishing boats. 

Tilapia - is a good white fish that is farm grown versus seafood due to overfishing in the wild,                               therefore, it's available all year long in the frozen section of your grocery store. 

Don't be afraid to buy frozen seafood as it helps to prolong the season and we can enjoy our favorites all year long. I know I love my fish sticks and cod cakes, even frozen shrimp and scallops too, but I frown upon frozen lobster tail as it seems to lose it's flavor as it thaws. When you live in the Midwest of America it's unlikely to get fresh seafood that hasn't been iced and airlifted to your local area. On it's way to your grocery store, it loses not only flavor but also the quality and nutritional value it once had when it was captured. So frozen is your only option. 

Note: If you don't live within a few hours of either the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans, and if you see a package of any seafood in your meat department case, be sure to read the package label to note whether it was previously frozen, which it probably was depending on where you live. If the seafood was previously frozen be sure to have it for dinner that night or the next night and do not refreeze it as it will cause you potential health issues once consumed. 

Author Elizabeth Kilbride is a former political operative, author, scriptwriter, historian, and journalist. business professional, creative artist, and life coach consultant. Ms. Kilbride holds a Master's in Criminology and a BS in Business Management she stepped out of the loop for a while but is now back with a powerful opinion and voice in the direction of this country and our economy. As a life coach, she is available to counsel individuals to enjoy their dreams and a better life. Ms. Kilbride loves to travel, and photograph her surroundings and is also a gourmet cook who loves to garden and preserve food for the winter months.