Wednesday, 23 July 2014

Useful Information About Seafood On Redondo Beach

By Sharron Cantu


Redondo Beach CA is known for being rich in various forms of aquatic life. Seafood refers to any kind of sea life that is considered by human beings as food. These organisms can be either plants or animals. In the animal category, the major groups are the fish and shellfish. Shellfish include different species of echinoderms, crustaceans, and mollusks. Dolphins and whales were formerly included in this group of food but they are being excluded because their consumption happens rarely these days.

In terms of plants, there are many sea plants that are eaten by human beings as food. Some of the major examples are microalgae and seaweeds. There are also plants in the sea that are referred to as sea vegetables. The science or the activity of farming and cultivating sea life for human consumption is referred to as mariculture or aquaculture. If it is fish, the process is called fish farming. On the other hand, the process of harvesting wild sea life is called fishing.

These organisms are primarily fished to make human food although they may also form food for fish and other farm animals. Large deposits of most minerals required by human bodies exist in these organisms. Examples of such minerals include fats, proteins, vitamins, iron, zinc, and phosphorus. Aquatic life forms the bulk of the diet for the coastal population. All the important nutrients required by the body are derived from them. Flesh from sea life is not grouped as meat even though some vegetarians do not include it in their diets.

After fishing, the animals and plants should be kept in a cold place preferably the coldest part of the refrigerator. Creatures that need to be alive at the time of cooking such as lobsters, mussels, clams, and oysters must be kept in clean water. Proper ventilation must be ensured to allow them to breathe and stay alive. Cooked and raw foods should be kept separately to avoid contamination.

Frozen food should be given enough time to defreeze before it is cooked. If one is in a hurry, defrosting can be accelerated by putting the organisms in a polythene bag and then placing the bag in water. This way, defrosting takes a few hours to complete.

Before and after handling any sea creatures, one should have their hands washed with hot water that is mixed with soap. All surface bacteria on the surface of the creatures must be removed by washing them properly in cold water before cooking. Cross-contamination is a common issue, hence it must be avoided at all costs by separating cooked and raw foods at all times. Eating contaminated food can cause serious health problems hence they must be disposed properly.

There are many ways of preparing and conserving aquatic foods besides refrigeration. Some of them include baking, grilling, broiling, canning, poaching, microwaving, stir frying, pan frying, and steaming. Some of these methods are applicable to specific creatures while others can be used on multiple creatures. Aquatic food can be served in combination with many other foods, vegetables, and ingredients.

Besides serving as food, these organisms are used for other purposes too. For instance, kelp is used as fertilizer for other plants. Fish oil and spirulina tablets are also extracts from these organisms.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment