Can I freeze fresh seafood?

[NoSoggyBottoms]

As part of a Christmas buffet, I'd like to serve some seafood but I'd rather buy it slightly in advance and freeze it until I need it.

So if I bought fresh mussels and cockels from the fishmongers, can I freeze them and defrost them when needed?

I would always ask your fishmonger to be sure. I have frozen fresh scallops and they were fine but I've never frozen mussels. I imagine you'd have to skein them first so depends what you're planning to do with them.

Well you can buy frozen mussels, so I don't see why you can't freeze them at home. You'd kill them by freezing them if course, so they wouldn't be alive when you cook them, like they are when you buy them fresh.

Thanks!

I should have said that the mussels would have been bought ready to eat and not in their shells. Like you said YDdraigGoch I can't really see why you couldn't freeze them as you can buy them already frozen. And Anchorwoman I agree that I will check with fishmonger first

By the way, I wanted to buy them from fishmongers as I think the size and quality is better than I can get in my supermarkets already frozen (or fresh for that matter). Mussels always seem to be titchy in the supermarkets...and I'm scared of them being a bit rubbery/chewy!

I would be worried in case they have previously been frozen.
Why not just buy them frozen?

I always prefer to buy things fresh and freeze them myself - with frozen food, you never know how long it's been frozen for. Also, I think that, particularly with meat, there always seems to be a lot of water when frozen meat is unfrozen (thawed) - whereas there isn't when you freeze things yourself.

Thanks again for the responses.

ceeveebee I'd thought of that. However, as I intend to buy them from a local fishmongers, I'm hoping that they'll be able to tell me if they have been previously frozen.

YDdraigGoch I agree, I prefer to buy fresh and then freeze. I just think the quality from my local fishmongers would be better than the supermarkets...and I like to support local businesses as much as I can.

My local fishmonger sells frozen as well as fresh so I'm lucky I guess!

You've jogged my memory! They used to sell frozen too...but since moving into new premises, I don't know if they still do. Will have to go in and find out! Thanks