HOW TO SELECT, HANDLE, CLEAN AND STORE SEAFOOD
Catfish products are sold by processors to institutional and retail markets. The majority of catfish products are packaged and delivered fresh (ice packed), individually quick frozen (IQF) or chill packed. 
The traditional product form of processed catfish is the whole dressed fish. This is a catfish that has been headed, gutted and skinned (HGS). However, a growing percentage of sales are generated when the dressed fish is further processed into a variety of cuts or forms, including:
- regular fillets
- shank fillets (regular fillet with the belly flap or nugget removed)
- fillet strips
- nuggets (belly flaps and other fillet trim)
- steaks
During the latter part of the 1980s, specialty products made their way into the marketplace. Whole dressed catfish and fillets, coated or marinated with flavors and spices such as lemon-butter, Cajun and mesquite, can be found in the seafood section of grocery stores.
For more information, go to Carolina Classics Catfish or the Southern Regional Aquaculture Center.
Contributed by David Green
How to Select, Handle, Clean & Store Seafood
After a successful fishing trip at the coast, you can keep your catch fresh until you get home with this simple technique. First scale, head and eviscerate your fish or fillet them so they are ready to use or freeze when you arrive at home. 
Next pack dressed fish or fillets in ice or even better, superchill the catch. To do this you need an insulated cooler with a drain. Before packing the fish, make a salt-ice mixture in a separate container, using about one-half pound of salt for every five pounds of ice.
Line the cooler with 3 to 4 inches of flaked or crushed ice. Layer the fish in the cooler, covering each layer with the salt-ice mixture. Eviscerated fish should be unwrapped and the body cavities filled with ice. Dressed fish or fillets should be wrapped in heavy, clear plastic film.
When the cooler is filled, top the contents with a generous layer of ice and tightly close the lid. Also close the drain plug. Place the cooler in a cool, shady area of your car. Check your fish and ice at the end of each day. Drain off the melted ice at night and add more ice.
After you have tried superchilling, you will be able to do it without mixing the ice and salt. Adding salt to ice lowers the holding temperature below 32 degrees Fahrenheit and extends the fresh quality of fish for several days.
From: Mariner’s Menu: 30 Years of Fresh Seafood Ideas.
Contributed by David Green
HOW TO SELECT, HANDLE, CLEAN AND STORE SEAFOOD
Fresh shrimp are often placed in zip lock bags or packed in plastic containers for home freezing and storage. 
When selecting your packaging, be sure it is strong enough to prevent shrimp spines from puncturing the film and is resistant to water vapor and oxygen transfer. This will help to prevent dehydration and oxidation in the freezer.
Oftentimes, coastal residents will freeze shrimp immersed in water to protect them from freezer burn. At other times, shrimp are individually quick frozen (IQF) by dipping in cold water after partial freezing to coat them with a thin layer of ice before frozen storage.
Still another technique is packing fresh shrimp in vacuum-sealed bags before freezing. This method is sufficient to protect the unglazed shrimp during frozen storage at -20oF. The method works best for fresh shrimp that are peeled and deveined to remove the sharp spines.
Remember to inspect your frozen shrimp periodically and re-glaze or re-pack as required.
Contributed by David Green
HOW TO SELECT, HANDLE, CLEAN AND STORE SEAFOOD
Fresh crabmeat refers to cooked meat that is picked from the crab shell. 
Eastern North Carolina fishermen harvest Atlantic blue crabs mainly in the summer and fall months. The live crabs are heated under pressure to fully cook them before they are chilled to 36 to 38 F, making the cooked meat easier to separate from the shell by hand.
Fresh-picked crabmeat generally is sold in plastic cups and is graded as lump, backfin, special and claw. For a full description of the various product forms, go to NC crabs.
Picked crabmeat is packed in metal or plastic containers and is pasteurized to extend its shelf life. Fresh or pasteurized crabmeat is often packed in ice to keep its temperature as near 320 F as possible to maintain its quality. Fresh-picked crabmeat will last 14 days (shelf life) when packed in ice. Pasteurized crabmeat will last six months under refrigeration.
Cooked crabmeat is often referred to as a “ready-to-eat” (RTE) food because it can be eaten right out of the plastic cup or can. It does not have to be cooked again. And that means you need to take special care when purchasing and handling crabmeat.
Buy from a seafood retailer or grocery store that maintains picked crabmeat in ice or under refrigeration. Place containers of crabmeat in ice and refrigerate. Because crabmeat is already cooked, it is important that it never contacts raw foods or be allowed to sit at room temperature for more than two hours. Always return unused portions of containers to your refrigerator or pack in ice.
Contributed by Barry Nash
