1. Look for vivid, clear eyes. Whether or not the eyes are dull, it may still be ok to eat but it will unquestionably be past its prime.

2. The skin ought to be shiny, metallic and clean. Don’t waste your money whether or not the skin is dull or has discoloured patches.

3. Smell it whether or not you may. Fresh fish, whole or filleted, ought to have a clean sea breeze smell. Whether or not it doesn’t smell nice don’t buy it, cooking won’t help.

4. The gills ought to be a rich red colour. Whether or not the colour of the gills has faded to that of old bricks, don’t buy.

5. The flesh ought to be vivid and uniform, never yellow around the edges. It ought to be firm to the touch.

7. Any liquid on the filleted fish ought to be clear, not milky.

8. Smoked fish ought to look shiny and have a lovely fresh aroma.

9. Shellfish ought to have tightly closed shells. Don’t buy them whether or not there are cracks or gaps in the shells.

10. If possible purchase lobsters and crabs that are either still alive or are frozen. The live ones ought to feel heavy for their size.

Whether or not you can’t get really fresh, fresh fish, buy frozen. Things to look for when buying frozen fish -

1. The package ought to be undamaged,

2. The fish should not look pale or chalky, this is a sign of freezer burn,

3. The flesh of the fish ought to never be partially thawed,

4. The fish should not be covered with ice crystals, which would sign that it had been thawed and refrozen.

When you get it home:

1. For the freshest flavour, eat it the same day. It’s best to use fresh fish within 1-2 days,

2. Put the fish, tightly and nicely wrapped in plastic cover and then in a plastic bag, in the coldest portion of the fridge,

3. To freeze raw fish, prevent ir from air by vacuum sealing, glazing it or wrapping it very tightly. To glaze the fish, dip it in cold water, put it on a baking pan, let freeze. Dip and freeze assorted times more, until the fish has when it comes to ¼ inch thick ice glaze on it. Put it into a plastic bag (This is recommend by putting the fish into one plastic bag which is then put into another plastic bag and both are tightly sealed).

4. Cooked fish may be refrigerated for 3-4 days and frozen for one month. Be sure you use storage technique that won’t let any juices drip onto other foods in the fridge and adequate wrapping for putting it in the freezer.

How long may you keep fish frozen?

- some fish like herring, mackerel and sardines ought to never be frozen. You could put a water coat on them but the quality wouldn’t be what it ought to be when you come to use them.

- trout or salmon, that are fatty fish should not be left in the freezer for more than 3 months.

- in general no fish ought to be in the freezer for longer than 3-4 months. Thaw fish in the fridge for a day before using