How to Properly Clean a Whole Shrimp

Before cooking the shrimp, it is very important that you clean it first no matter how fresh or frozen it is. If you want to know the ways on how to clean whole shrimp you must prepare the needed equipments such as the plastic toothpick, plastic bag, colander, and gloves if you do not want to risk hurting your fingers.
If you would not clean fresh shrimp but a frozen one instead, see to it that the shrimp has thawed completely. Shrimps can be cooked easily so never use your microwave when defrosting the frozen food. Once the shrimp is completely ice-free, you can start taking out the unnecessary parts. Hold it at the middle part and pull out the head if you do not want to include it when cooking. Some people also take out the short hair-like part just beneath the body of the shrimp. Those were not actually hair but their feet. Take out the soft covering that serves as their shell and the tail if you wish. The parts that you would have to remove actually depend on you and on the dish that you would prepare using the shrimp as the main ingredient.
You can also remove the veins when you clean fresh shrimp as well. A small toothpick will help you take the veins out. A paring knife will also help you take the veins if you want something sharper. When buying it fresh, you can ask them to devein the shrimp for you so you would no longer go through the hassle of deveining it. Anyway, they know the best techniques on how to clean whole shrimp than you do.
By the time you are done cleaning and deveining the shrimps, you can put it in a bowl. Then use cold water to wash it thoroughly. This is to make sure that the leftovers and other parts will be removed as well.
When you try to clean the shrimp it is important that you do the process with care. Unlike other meats, shrimps are very vulnerable and can be minced immediately if not handled gently. Buying fresh shrimps and cleaning it on your own is actually more advisable than buying the pre-peeled or frozen shrimps in the market. The flavor and the storage life of the shrimp will last longer compare to the frozen meat or pre-peeled that are readily available for cooking.







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