Shrimp are found abundantly in America, off the Atlantic and Pacific seaboards in inshore waters, wherever the bottom is sandy.

Shrimp are in season from May to October and 95% of the shrimp caught come from the warm waters of the South Atlantic and Gulf states.

Unless you live in the part of the country where you can actually buy "fresh" shrimp, it is preferable to buy frozen shrimp. Most shrimp in the grocery stores are frozen shrimp that has been thawed. The shelf like of thawed shrimp is only a couple of days, whereas shrimp stored in the freezer retain their quality for several weeks.

If possible, avoid shrimp that has been peeled and deveined before freezing. It can cause a loss of flavor and texture.

Defrost shrimp in the refrigerator or in cold water. Do not defrost in a warm place or microwave.

Shrimp cook well in or out of their shells, but they're easier to devein before cooking. Run the deveiner or the tip of a small knife down the back of the shrimp. This will allow you to remove the vein. You may remove the shell at this time or boil with shell on and remove after cooking. If frying, shell should be removed first.

Photo of different types of shrimp deveiners that can be purchased.

Cooking Shrimp:

The Secret To Tender Shrimp:   Shrimp should always be cooked quickly in order to preserve their sweet, delicate flavors. Most shrimp cook in as little as 3 minutes - when they're pink, they are done.

They are very quick to cook, and the flavor can easily be ruined by overcooking. to properly cook, place a pound of shrimp in a quart of rapidly boiling water with (3) three tablespoons of salt. Cover and return to a boil, then simmer until the flesh has lost its glossy appearance and is opaque in center (cut to test). Jumbo shrimp take about 7 to 8 minutes, large shrimp take about 5 to 7 minutes, and medium size are done in about 3 to 4 minutes.

Once shrimp are cooked, they should be plunged into cold water to stop the cooking process. (Do not let them cool in the cooking liquid. They will continue to cook and get tough)

Brining is very easy and economical, and requires no special cookware. Brining is like a marinade as it keeps food moist and tender. Brining or salting is a way of increasing the moisture holding capacity of shrimp resulting in a moister product when it is cooked.

Brining is a process to be used if you want to put a little more "snap" to shrimp. Brining draws extra moisture out of the shrimp flesh, thus firming it's texture.  Brining turns potentially mushy shrimp into shrimp with a chewy texture similar to lobster tail.  Brining can be used with either peeled and deveined raw shrimp or shell on raw shrimp. 

Do not brine raw shrimp if they are to be used for poaching and other wet cooking techniques. Tests and found that the brining lets the shrimp retain more moisture when cooked with a dry method (grilling or pan frying, for example). 

Kosher salt and table salt (without iodine) are the most common salts used in brining. Sea salt can be used, but it tends to be quite expensive. I usually use kosher salt. A cup of table salt and a cup of kosher salt are not equal. Table salt weighs approximately 10 ounces per cup and kosher salt weighs approximately 5 to 8 ounces per cup depending on the brand. If using kosher salt in a brine, you must use more than a cup to achieve the same "saltiness" you would get from a cup of table salt. The chart below shows how to substitute the two most popular brands of kosher salt for ordinary table salt when brining.

Table Salt (without iodine) - 1 cup
Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt - 2 cups
Morton Kosher Salt - 1 1/2 cups

How long to brine raw shrimp:

It is possible to end up with meat that's too salty for your taste. To avoid this, brine on the low end of the time range on your first attempt. You can always brine longer next time, but there's no way to salvage a piece of meat that's been brined too long.

Shrimp (peeled)   -  20 to 30 minutes
Shrimp (unpeeled)  -   40 to 60 minutes

Brine for shrimp:
1/4 cup kosher or coarse salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup boiling water
2 cups ice

Stir salt and sugar into boiling water until dissolved; pour into large bowl filled with ice; add up to 2 pounds raw shrimp. Let sit in the brine, refrigerated for 20  to 60 minutes (see chart above). Remove shrimp from brine and drain thoroughly. Rinse the shrimp thoroughly under cold water and dry on paper towels. Refrigerate the raw brined shrimp until ready to use in your recipe.

Freezing Shrimp - (Raw or Cooked)

Select high-quality, fresh shrimp for freezing. Shrimp can be frozen cooked or raw, in or out of the shell. For maximum storage life and quality, freeze shrimp raw, with heads removed, but shells still on. Shrimp may also be frozen in water in a freezer container or wrap it well in plastic and place it in the coldest part of the freezer where it will keep for about one month.

If large shrimp are served in a stemmed glass, pick them up with an oyster fork or whatever fork is provided and bite off a mouthful at a time, dipping into the sauce before each bite.

If large shrimp are served on a platter with sauce and no fork, pick up with your fingers, dip into sauce and put to your mouth.