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Octopus Delivery or Pickup
The Instacart guide to octopus products
Instacart grocers offer a range of octopus varieties for every taste and preference. Buy the types you like on their website.
About octopus
Octopuses are related to squid and cuttlefish. They are cephalopods, which means “head-footed” as they have eight legs sprouting from their head. Octopuses also have a beak to crush prey like lobster, crab, and abalone.
More than 140 species of octopus exist in tropical and temperate waters across the world. Their sizes range from a few ounces to more than 100lbs. Korea, Thailand, and the Philippines are the main octopus suppliers. In the U.S., the chief sources are California and Hawaii.
Octopus flesh is smoothly textured with a chewy bite. This sea creature's diet consists of shellfish, which gives it a sweet, mild flavor. Octopuses have purplish-black edible skin that covers white meat. After cooking, the meat becomes translucent, beige in color, and sometimes deep pink. The size of the octopus depends on the place of harvest and species. Korean octopuses are the largest.
Here are some of the most common types of octopus:
- Reef Octopus: This variety is also called day octopus. It constantly forages for food and is very active. The reef octopus can quickly blend with the environment to become almost invisible when targeted by predators. Its diet consists of bivalves, small fish, and shellfish. Reef octopuses commonly inhabit areas near Hawaii and Indonesia. They are not endangered but are over-fished, as their meat is relished as a delicacy across many countries.
- Blue-ringed Octopus: This variety is named after the blue rings that appear on its body when it gets agitated. It emits toxic poison to stun its prey as well as predators. The blue-ringed octopus is found near Indonesia and Australia.
- Giant Pacific Octopus: This octopus is large in size, weighing up to 110lbs and growing up to16 feet in length. It hunts nocturnally and feeds on birds, shellfish, lobsters, and fish. The giant Pacific octopus's lifespan is the one of longest among the species, with females living up to five years and males up to four.
- Common Atlantic Octopus: This octopus has a pigment cell network in its body muscles that quickly changes its skin color to match the surroundings instantly. It can also squirt ink to escape from predators. The common octopus frequents temperate, shallow waters across the Atlantic Ocean. It can grow up to three feet in size and feeds on mollusks, shellfish, and crabs.
Octopus cooking tips
Here are some easy methods to cook octopus:
- Roasting: Roasting is a great way to give the octopus meat texture and tenderness, though this method may take some labor and time. Sprinkle some salt on the octopus meat and place it on a baking sheet covered with foil. Use another foil layer to cover the meat and crimp the edges to contain it completely. Then, cook the meat on the lower rack of a 250°F oven for 2 hours. Check the texture of the meat occasionally, using a fork till it reaches your desired tenderness. Cool the octopus before serving it.
- Grilling: Pre-cook the octopus before taking it to the grill. Otherwise, you will get dry, tough meat. First, tenderize the octopus by boiling or roasting it. Then, add some pepper, salt, and olive oil to the meat, and add it to the grill. Cook for up to five minutes on the covered grill, flipping once. The octopus will turn a perfect brown and can be dressed with herbs, fresh lemon, and some more oil.
- Boiling: Boiling is a light and quick cooking method. Fill a big stockpot with water and vegetables, and herbs of your preference to add flavor to the meat. Bring to a boil, and then add the octopus meat and cover. Then, boil the meat gently for about 20 minutes per pound. Use a fork to test the texture every 15 minutes until the meat becomes completely tender. You can strain the leftover liquid and use it as a seafood stock.
Other common methods of cooking octopus include braising, pan-frying, and poaching.
Octopus Near Me
Buy your favorite Octopus online with Instacart. Order Octopus from local and national retailers near you and enjoy on-demand, contactless delivery or pickup within 2 hours.
FAQs about octopus
If prepared properly, octopus meat has a firm, nice texture and can be quite tender; not chewy and tough. The taste can be described as crabby and scallopy, and you can serve the meat both hot and cold. For the best taste, octopus meat can be used in salads with parsley, oil, and garlic, sauteed, marinated and grilled, and cooked in stews.
Besides being delicious to eat, octopus meat is packed with nutrients such as amino acids, potassium, iron, calcium, riboflavin, vitamin B12, and manganese. The meat is low in fat and calories, and a good lean source of protein which makes it ideal for people following Keto, Paleo, or Whole 30 diets.