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Shellfish Delivery or Pickup
The Instacart guide to shellfish products
Instacart grocers provide a wide array of shellfish. Browse the website and pick the varieties you prefer for your taste and nutritional needs.
About shellfish
The shapes, flavors, and colors of shellfish add a taste of seafood and variety to many dishes. Browse shellfish varieties via Instacart and enjoy their delicious taste at home. It's best to cook and eat this seafood the same day to retain its flavor.
Shellfish products come in three main types:
- Mollusks: These sea creatures do not have a spine, and their body is soft and covered by one or more shell pieces. Mollusk examples include squid, octopus, snails, scallops, oysters, mussels, clams, and abalone.
- Crustaceans: These have a long body with jointed, soft legs and shells. Examples of crustaceans include shrimp, lobster, crayfish, and crabs.
- Imitation seafood: These products include imitation lobster bites and crab legs that can be cheaper to buy than shellfish but offer similar texture and taste in recipes. The imitation products are created from pollock, a white-fleshed, mild shellfish. To add flavor, artificial shellfish, shellfish extract, or real shellfish flavoring is included.
To select the best shellfish, look for scallops, mussels, oysters, and clams with a mild odor and tightly closed shells. Shells should be intact and not broken, chipped, or cracked. If the shell is open, tap on it to check if the shellfish is alive. When tapped, live shellfish will shut tight. Do not use shellfish that are dead.
Mussels, oysters, and shucked clams — those with no shells — need to be plump and ensconced in a slightly opalescent, clear liquid. The color of clams can range from deep to pale orange. Mussels can be deep orange to light tan, while oysters are generally creamy white, and may also have a pink, brown, red, or green tint.
Shucked scallops can be bought in two sizes: the small bay variety, which has a diameter of about 1/2in, and the bigger sea scallops that have a diameter of around 2in. Moist and sweet scallops need to have a mild odor, but do not buy them if they are stored directly in ice or liquid. Sea scallops have a creamy white color and could be tinted pink or light orange. Bay scallops also have a creamy white hue with a pink or light tan tint.
Live crabs and lobsters need to have their legs moving and with their hard shells intact. To ensure food safety, you must cook a lobster live or kill it before cooking. A live lobster will curl the tail tightly when you hold it. Discard dead crabs or lobsters. Use crabs and lobsters on the day of purchase. Crabmeat and lobster meat can be bought canned, frozen, or fresh. Shrimp are marketed in multiple varieties in fresh, canned, and frozen forms. Fresh shrimp have market names like “large” or “jumbo,” and they are sold by number per pound or count.
Shellfish cooking tips
Properly cooked shellfish tastes delicious, slightly chewy, and moist. However, it can become rubbery and tough if overcooked. Watch out for the following clues to determine when shellfish cooking is done.
- Live mussels, oysters, and clams will open their shells after they are done.
- Shucked mussels, oysters, and clams will become opaque and plump. Oyster edges will begin to curl.
- Lobsters and crabs will become bright red in color.
- Scallops become firm and turn opaque or white.
- Raw shrimp will turn firm and become pink.
The size of the shellfish dish dictates the cooking time.
Scallops and shrimp can be cooked well using a microwave. For effective results:
FAQs about shellfish
Fresh shellfish can be stored in the fridge in an open vessel. Maintain humidity by placing a damp cloth on top. Do not place shellfish in water as they may spoil. You can store shellfish that completely close their shells for up to seven days. These include cockles, butter clams, littlenecks, and oysters. However, mussels can only be stored for up to four days. You can store shellfish that do not close their shells completely for up to four days. These include razor clams, geoducks, softshell clams, and horse clams.
Shellfish are packed with healthy fats and protein, and can help in weight loss. They contain nutrients such as zinc, vitamin B12, and omega-3 fatty acids that can make the immune system, brain, and heart healthier.