Why Buying Frozen Seafood is Better than Fresh.
More than 85 percent of the seafood we eat in United States is imported. Within that, the "vast majority"—70 percent but likely higher, according to Gavin Gibbons, spokesman for the National Fisheries Institute—has been frozen at some point. "There really is no difference," said Gibbons. "The clock never moves backward when it comes to freshness. If a fish is caught, handled well and frozen immediately, you literally stop the clock. You freeze in the freshness." He adds that nutritionally, nothing is lost when fish is frozen.
That is why at SEA 2 DOOR we have selected exclusively products that have been flash frozen in the peak of their freshness.
Flash freezing is the process in which fish are frozen immediately after they're harvested. It uses ultra-low temperatures to freeze fish solid in a matter of minutes. Flash-freezing locks in the nutrition, texture, and flavor that you would expect from premium quality seafood. In addition, the individual vacuum-packing is very convenient.
"A 2016 Study funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation that tested consumer preferences for fresh black cod and coho salmon vs. frozen (both bought at retail) found that the frozen fish, simply baked, were both rated superior or equal to their fresh counterparts. The study also measured the quality of those frozen and fresh fish, based on the conductivity of cell structure, and found that the overall score of the frozen fish was at least three times higher than the fresh fish."
To be clear, there is nothing wrong with fresh fish. If you have access to good quality, never- frozen fish that has been harvested in local waters, you're lucky. For the rest of us, there are clear advantages to buying our well processed, packed and delivered frozen seafood.
Best of all, you get to enjoy species that come from all over the world and enjoy it any time. For example, the crystal blue, chilly waters of the Southern Ocean offer Chilean Sea Bass, one of the most sought-after fish of high end restaurants. Check out the quest for our Chilean Sea Bass in this video from our partners. From the Mediterranean Sea, you have the opportunity of grilling the well-loved Carabineros, in the comfort of your home and still appreciate the flavor, texture and nutrients as if you were indulging a gourmet dish at a waterfront restaurant in Costa Brava, harvested that same day.
In a culture that assumes fresh is always best, it can be shocking to learn that frozen fish is fresher than the “fresh” fish found at the seafood counter. Stores often sell thawed fish in the fresh case, marked "previously frozen.”What this means is that the product was harvested, processed, frozen and then thawed out to sell. If the customer buys it and brings it home and cooks it that same day, great! But so often, the thawed products end up in the home freezers again, losing quality, texture and flavor.
In the Frozen vs. Fresh debate we have to concur with nutrition columnist Jane Brody for The New York Times who once wrote, "The freshest seafood is that which has been frozen shortly after harvest and remains that way until cooked." Product freshness, frozen at it's peak, all the way to your doorstep. That is our promise at SEA 2 DOOR.
Sources:
- A Fresh Look at Frozen Fish. Tyson Rasor for www.Ecotrust.org
- Buying frozen fish isn’t what it used to be. Here’s what you need to know. Bonnie S. Benwick for WashingtonPost.com
- Is Frozen Fish Better Than Fresh?
- Frozen fish is just as good as fresh.