Purchasing: know your source! Always purchase seafood from a reputable seafood dealer.

• Fresh fish should have a mild sea breeze odor. A strong fishy or ammonia odor is not acceptable.

• Whole fresh fish should have bright, clear and shiny eyes. Scales should be shiny and cling tightly to the skin. Look for bright pink or red gills. Avoid any fish with sores or lesions on the skin.

• Steaks and fillets should be moist with firm and shiny flesh. The flesh should spring back when pressed.

• At the market, make sure that cooked seafood products are not in contact with raw seafood products in the display case.

• “Shell on” products such as clams and oysters should be purchased live. Shells of live clams and oysters may gape naturally but will close tightly when tapped indicating they are alive.

• Live crabs will show some leg movement.

• Fresh shucked oysters have a fresh odor. A clear slightly milky or light grey liquid should surround freshly shucked oysters.

• If in doubt about the source of raw oysters and clams, ask seafood market personnel to show you the certified shipper’s tag that accompanies “shell on” products or check the shipper number on the container of shucked oysters.

• Get seafood purchases home and into the refrigerator as quickly as possible. Don’t leave perishable items in hot cars for extended periods unless packed in ice or in a cooler. It is a good idea to transport seafood in an ice-packed cooler from the store to your home.

• Store fresh fish in its original wrapper.

• Keep seafood products cold to keep them safe. Maintain a refrigerator temperature between 34° and 40°F and your freezer at 0°F or colder. You may want to keep your seafood purchase packed in ice in your refrigerator until you are ready to prepare it. Discard ice and wash containers thoroughly after use. This will doubly ensure your food will remain safe, wholesome and delicious.

• Oysters and clams should be refrigerated in containers covered with clean, damp cloths—not with airtight lids. Use fresh shellfish within one or two days.

• If you are not going to use your seafood within one or two days of purchase, freeze it. However, do not refreeze previously frozen products.

• Keep frozen fish and shellfish at 0°F. For best quality use them within three to six months. The longer these foods are frozen, the more likely they are to loose flavor, texture and moisture.

• Refrigerate or freeze leftover cooked foods immediately in moisture proof packages or containers.