Prawns, bugs and several other seafood products are sold either green (raw) or cooked (ready-to-eat). We’re often asked by customers which one to choose.

Green prawns are perfect if you plan on cooking them, for example, on a barbeque or in a risotto, curry or soup. They cook quickly so they’re best added during the last part of cooking.

Green prawns are highly perishable so are caught and snap frozen immediately onboard the vessel. We sell them still frozen to ensure you get the freshest product possible. We have advice on how to thaw them below.

Cooked prawns, on the other hand, are ready-to-eat fresh straight out of the bag or in a salad. While these prawns can be heated, you’ll need to be careful with them; it’s very easy to heat them too much, leaving them over-cooked and rubbery. We’d always recommend green prawns if you plan on cooking with them.

Cooked prawns vary in colour from a light pinkish colour to dark orange-red depending on the species. You can buy these either fresh or frozen.

It’s important to handle your fresh seafood correctly during your journey home, particularly in the Queensland heat.

Temperature is the most important factor controlling the speed at which seafood goes bad. Chilled seafood should be kept at a temperature between 1°C and 4°C. It is necessary to maintain within this temperature range, as below 0°C products may begin to freeze and become damaged by ice crystal formation and above 5°C risks bacterial growth.

Frozen seafood must be transported, stored and handled at temperatures never warmer than -18°C.

If you’re not going to eat or cook your seafood immediately, make sure your products are kept at the correct temperature for the journey and during storage. We strongly recommend bringing an esky or cooler bag with an ice brick when you collect your seafood.

Fresh is always best and, where possible, seafood should be consumed immediately after purchase. This isn’t always practical, however, so below is some advice on how to keep your chilled seafood in the best condition possible.

General advice

Fresh seafood should be kept between 1°C and 4°C and consumed within 2-3 days of purchase.

Store your seafood in the coldest part of the fridge, which is usually at the bottom. Avoid opening the fridge door too often to maintain the temperature. If your fridge is not maintaining temperature between 1°C and 4°C, this will negatively affect the shelf life of your seafood.

Cover your seafood well. Not only will this stop your seafood from drying out but, all seafood has a smell, so it ensures that the odour won’t affect other items in your fridge.

Finally, don’t allow seafood to sit in its own juices for any length of time, as it will deteriorate more quickly. Provide drainage and remove the juices frequently.

Fish

We sell our fish hermetically sealed (cryovac), using a commercial vacuum sealer. This removes the air, reducing bacteria growth. If kept at the correct temperature, sealed fish can remain fresh for up to 7 days in a fridge.

Prawns, bugs and crabs

Cooked prawns, bugs and crabs can be kept fresh in the fridge for 2-3 days provided they have drainage. For example, you can place your prawns and bugs in a colander within a slightly larger bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

If you wish to store them for longer, immediately after purchase, remove any shell and juice, then seal the meat in an airtight container. This can extend the shelf life to a total of 4-5 days.

While there is a perception that frozen seafood is inferior in some way to fresh product, this is actually untrue. In blind taste tests conducted by the Oregon State University’s Food Innovation Lab in 2019, trained panelists actually preferred seafood frozen immediately after harvest, and nutritionally it is no different.

The most important factor when freezing seafood is to make sure the seafood is as fresh as possible at the point of freezing. Freezing quickly is also of utmost importance so always freeze product flat in a single layer and in the coldest part of your freezer.

If you want to purchase your seafood frozen, you can always ask us to freeze it for you. We use commercial freezers that can bring product down to temperature efficiently and within the required timeframes.

Frozen seafood must be transported, stored and handled at temperatures at or below -18°C. It should be noted that not all consumer freezers come down to or maintain this temperature and this can negatively impact the life of your frozen seafood.

Most frozen seafood at home should be consumed within approximately 3 months for optimum flavour and texture.

We have detailed advice on thawing your frozen product to ensure the best taste and texture below.

Fish

We sell our fish hermetically sealed (cryovac), using a commercial vacuum sealer. This removes the air, reducing bacteria growth and it also saves your fish from freezer burn if you choose to freeze it after purchase. Lay flat in a single layer to ensure the fish freezes quickly.

Prawns

We sell both cooked and green frozen prawns so there should be no need to freeze fresh prawns at home. Our frozen prawns are caught and snap frozen immediately onboard the vessel to ensure you get the freshest product possible.

If you purchase fresh prawns and need to freeze any excess, remove any shell and juice, then seal the meat in an airtight container and place in the coldest part of your freezer.

Oysters

We do not recommend freezing our fresh oysters at home, as they are prone to freezer burn and textural changes. We can supply frozen oysters if required, which are coated with a commercial glaze to protect them during freezing.

Properly frozen and thawed seafood will be virtually indistinguishable from a fresh product. Guidance on safe thawing is provided below.

Fish, squid tubes and other vacuum-sealed products

Many of our products come hermetically sealed (cryovac), using a commercial vacuum sealer. These should be thawed overnight in the refrigerator. Open the vacuum seal on fish prior to thawing.

Prawns, bugs and crays

We strongly recommend thawing frozen prawns and bugs in a brine to maintain their flavour and texture.

Fill a sink or large bowl with cool tap water, approximately double the volume of the seafood you want to thaw. Add salt so that it tastes like the ocean (at least 2 tablespoons per litre of water) and immerse your seafood. When the seafood is firm but not hard (usually 10-15 minutes), strain and immediately cook or serve.

Well managed frozen prawns and bugs can be every bit as flavourful as fresh. This is because our frozen products are caught and immediately snap frozen on the vessel. The perception that they are somehow inferior or less flavourful has originated due to improper thawing practices, such as thawing on the bench or in plain water.

Oysters

Frozen oysters are coated with a commercial glaze to protect them during freezing. When thawing it is best to wash this glaze off in a brine (i.e. tap water with at least 2 tablespoons of salt per litre of water). Simply drop the oysters into the brine and let them sit for approx. 5 minutes before removing. Cover and allow them to thaw completely in the fridge.

Hold the body firmly just behind the head then twist off the head. Pull back the legs removing the centre section of the shell in the same motion. Squeeze the tail segment at the base and gently pull out the flesh.

We recommend deveining your prawns (i.e. removing the digestive tract that runs along the back of the prawn). You can do this by simply pinching the vein at the head and peeling it back. You can also run a sharp knife along the prawn’s back and then simply lift out the vein.

Bugs can be halved by laying the bug on its back, unfurling/flattening the tail and using a sharp knife or cleaver to split the length of the shell from head to tail. Then, simply remove the digestive tract running down the middle of the tail meat (just like deveining a prawn) and clean out the head cavity (either with a teaspoon or rinsing it out in a brine).

Alternatively, to remove the tail whole, cut down either side of the tail using kitchen scissors, peel the underside of the tail back and remove meat.

If you don’t have a knife, don’t despair. Peeling a bug is actually as easy as peeling a prawn! Lay the bug on its back. With your thumbs, feel for the first soft section of the shell, just behind the head. Press your thumbs into this section until it cracks (this breaks the exo-membrane holding the head to the rest of the shell). Grip the head of the bug with one hand and the tail in your other, then lever or twist the head and tail until the head detaches. Lay the bug back down and use your thumbs to crack each section of shell down the tail (watch out for the spikes on the first two sections). Now, just hold the tail on either side and crack the shell back, revealing the meat. Remove any of the digestive tract from the head and devein, just like you would a prawn.

Yes, mussels that do not open when heated can actually be eaten. Don’t waste the tasty morsels inside an unopened shell – prise them open and enjoy!

If you’re concerned about a mussel being off (or dead), the smell will easily give it away. Throw away any that don’t smell ocean fresh and sweet but otherwise they’re all good to eat.

These are all signs that your seafood is overcooked!

Seafood is generally very quick to cook. It’s also worth keeping in mind that seafood will continue to cook after being taken off the heat. Given this, it is always better to slightly undercook rather than overcook.

If you’re feeling uncertain, a digital temperature probe can be a useful addition in the kitchen.