Can You Freeze Shrimp?

What happens when you freeze shrimp

Most “fresh” shrimp at the counter was frozen on the boat and thawed for the display case, so freezing it at home is really just putting it back. The shell is the armor: peel-on shrimp comes back plump and sweet, while peeled shrimp dries at the edges and turns faintly cottony. Cooked shrimp freezes safely too, but it firms up and won’t take a second cooking without going rubbery — freeze it raw whenever you get the choice.

How to freeze it right

1. Freeze it raw and peel-on — the shell shields the meat from freezer burn better than any wrapping.
2. Rinse, drain, and pat dry, then pack flat in a bag with the air pressed out.
3. For long storage, freeze the shrimp in a block of water in a container — old-fashioned, and still the best protection there is.
4. Label raw or cooked, with the size and the date.

Thawing and using it

Thaw overnight in the fridge, or sink the sealed bag in cold water and it’s ready before the pan is hot. Never on the counter. Cook raw shrimp through until the flesh is pearly and opaque; already-cooked shrimp goes in at the very end, off the heat, or it seizes.

Can you refreeze it?

Fridge-thawed shrimp can be refrozen safely, though it loses a little snap each round. Shrimp thawed in cold water needs to be cooked first — cook it, then freeze the cooked shrimp.