"I didn't know these things come in shells!"
When vacationers visit the OBX, they head to Outer Banks restaurants and buffets in droves. Most local restaurants pride themselves in serving only the best quality seafood. After all, truly fresh seafood tastes so much better than the frozen stuff! Why bother eating out if you're just going to be served the same frozen fish and shrimp that you could get inland?
Some folks shy away from fixing seafood dishes at home because they don't know how to buy fresh seafood. When they enter a seafood market, they become overwhelmed by all the choices (and yes, the fishy smell). The good news is that most Outer Banks seafood markets are staffed by people who are more than happy to help you out. Believe me, they've heard much sillier questions and requests than anything you can dish out! Yes, they've even heard "I didn't know these things come in shells!" when surprised vacationers come in looking for shrimp.
Here are some great tips for buying fresh shrimp during your next Outer Banks vacation. Thanks to the North Carolina Department of Agriculture for these helpful hints!
- Fresh shrimp are sold by count per pound.
- If you see numbers like "26/30," that refers to the count per pound. In this example, it means that 26-30 of these particular shrimp make up one pound. The smaller the shrimp, the higher the count will be. (The shrimp should all be of similar size.)
- You'll sometimes see shrimp advertised as "Jumbo" or "Extra Large." There is no set measurement for terms like this, so the count per pound system is more accurate. However, the numbers below will give you a general idea of what to expect:
- Jumbo or Extra Large = 8 to 10 per pound
- Large = 10 to 25 per pound
- Medium = 26 to 40 per pound
- Small = 41 to 60 per pound
- When deciding how much shrimp to buy, a good "guesstimate" is to purchase about 3/4 pound of headless shrimp in the shell per person. Go for 1/3 to 1/2 pound per person if the shrimp are shelled.
Now that you know how to buy fresh shrimp, stay tuned for some classic Outer Banks, NC shrimp recipes!