Dumb Question About Shrimp

I'm always amazed at the missinformation that people that are supposedly "in the know" pass on to the unsuspecting public.

My brother was a shrimper. If the shrimp is kept cold it will last for a couple of weeks. How do you tell if shrimp has gone bad. It smells bad. Unless you have a bad cold, shrimp that was kept at too high a temperature will smell bad. There will be no doubt in your mind. Its almost like smelling a skunk. Once you smell it you will know. (No. Bad shrimp doesn't smell like a skunk. It has a distinctive smell.)

I keep my shrimp in the freezer and it will keep for a long time, but that depends on what the freezer's temperature is. If its a real good freezer, it will keep your freezer at 5 degrees above Zero or less. If its an old freezer and wearing out, it will keep food frozen at 25 degrees. If your freezer is a "warm" one, wipe all the dust off the pipes and grate. That will make it cool (freeze) better and save you money.

You wil not be poisoned by shrimp that is too old. You may get sick, but you will be able to tell shrimp has gone bad.

BTW, the only dumb question is the one you don't ask. Good luck to you and yours.

If it smelled ok, it was ok.
You'd have been sick certainly within a few hours if there was something wrong with it.

If it smells like iodine (which CAN happen day 1 of purchase if it warms, or even be bought that way :P if the seafood dept is less than up to snuff) toss it.

Up to snuff. Sniff it.

Nope, food poisoning usually rears its ugly head without hours of consumption.

If the food is stored properly, it can last a little longer than what is recommended. But it all depends on your fridge temp, opening and closing, etc.

I think you are fine. And by the way - not a dumb question!

As is the general consensus here, I'm all about smelling my food. We eat shrimp fairly often and you will know for sure if it needs to be thrown out. Like Riley said though---that could be ONE day or a week, depending on how it was handled from boat to store, from store to fish dept, from fish dept to your kitchen.

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not a dumb question... I didn't know this!!! I should be dead right now!! I'll keep this in mind for the future. I love shrimp.