          
          
          
                       Market Forms of Shellfish
          
               Shellfish, like finfish, are also marketed in a 
          variety of forms.  Following are some examples as well as 
          tips on purchasing.
          
               Live in the shell -- These shellfish are sold just as 
          they come from the sea and must be kept alive until they 
          are cooked.  When purchasing, be sure they are active.  
          Crabs and lobsters should show movement in the legs.  The 
          lobster's tail should curl under and not hang down when the 
          live lobster is handled.  Hard clams, oysters, and scallops 
          should close their shells when tapped.
          
               Shucked -- Shellfish sold in this form have been 
          removed from the shell while alive and packed in a clear 
          liquid.  Scallops, oysters, clams, and mussels are 
          available in this form.  When purchasing shucked shellfish 
          there should be little or no liquid and a fresh, mild odor.  
          Excess liquid indicates poor quality and careless handling.  
          Color is also a good indication of quality.  Clam meat 
          should be pale to deep orange, scallop meat should be 
          creamy white to light tan, orange, or pink, and oysters 
          should have a creamy color.  In addition there should be no 
          shell particles in shucked oysters and clams.  Scallops are 
          unique in that only the abductor muscle is removed from the 
          shell, not the whole scallop.  Shucked shellfish is 
          available fresh or frozen.
          
               Headless -- The head of the shellfish has been 
          removed.  Shrimp is sold in this manner as are spiny 
          lobster tails.  Fresh shrimp have a mild odor and firm 
          meat, usually greenish or pink in color.  The shell should 
          fit the body with no sign of shrinkage.
          
               Peeled and cleaned -- Shrimp is commonly sold in this 
          fashion.  It is headless with the intestinal tract removed.
          
               Cooked in the shell -- Crabs and lobsters are sold in 
          this form.  The market cooks the shellfish and sells them 
          whole, or the meat may be picked from the shell and is 
          packaged chilled or frozen.  Cooked lobster meat is red in 
          color and has a mild odor.  The tail of a cooked lobster 
          should spring back after it has been straightened.
          
               Frozen -- Shellfish are frozen in almost every form:  
          raw, cooked, in the shell, and out of the shell.  Oysters, 
          scallops, clams, and mussels are sold breaded and ready to 
          fry or bake.  They have been shucked, coated with batter, 
          breaded, package, and frozen.  Shrimp is also frozen raw or 
          fried and breaded.  In this case the shrimp are peeled and 
          cleaned, coated with a batter, breaded, packaged, and 
          frozen.
          
               Canned -- Whole shellfish, lumps of meat, minced meat 
          and smoked meat are canned.  Whether they be "dry packed" 
          in a vacuum or "liquid packed" in a brine or juice, they 
          are ready to serve or use as purchased.  Oysters, lobsters, 
          clams, crabs, and shrimp are sold in this form.
          
          
