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If fresh shrimp glows, it's time to go

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By MARY A. KEITH

Tribune correspondent

Published: November 8, 2009

How long can I safely keep fresh shrimp in the refrigerator? I bought it early because it was on sale, but I don't plan to use it for another five days.

Stick it in the freezer. Now! Fresh shrimp is recommended for safe refrigerator storage for only one day, but should be good quality for as much as three months in the freezer. Shrimp decomposes easily since the internal organs are still present. If you notice an iodine-like odor when you thaw or cook shrimp, don't continue. Pitch it. That's one sign of beginning decomposition.

Occasionally you might even notice, if it's really too old, that it's glowing in the dark. Most of the bacteria that cause phosphorescence are not usually pathogenic, that is, they won't directly make us sick. But if it's glowing, that's like a little neon sign flashing at us that there is lots of something growing in there that shouldn't be. Pay attention to the sign, and let the bugs have all of it. You don't need it that badly!

I'm trying to get ready for the holidays a little in advance this year. One family favorite is a fresh fruit salad. But I'm really picky about how I prepare the oranges and grapefruit that goes into it so it takes a lot of time. Can I section the fruit and freeze it now to use later?

Certainly you can section and freeze citrus fruit. Here are several hints to help you get a top quality product:

Be sure you don't get oil from the skin into the fruit. Citrus oils are very strong and will give a bitter flavor to the fruit. Also, most people find that the flavor and quality of a grapefruit-orange mixture is better than either single fruit. So if you use both in the salad, freeze them together. Finally, citrus like most fruit keeps its shape, color and flavor better if frozen in a sugar syrup. Without the sugar the fruit tends to shrink and the flavors can oxidize. It will freeze into a solid block, take longer to thaw and will leak a lot more juice after it is thawed if you don't use the sugar.

Make a syrup of 2 to 3 cups of sugar in 4 cups of water. Heat the syrup until the sugar dissolves, then chill it until ready to use. You can drain a lot of it off before you make the salad if you want.

Mary A. Keith, a nutritionist and health agent at Hillsborough County Extension, can be reached at mkeith@ufl.edu.

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