Mushy Prawns, what did I do wrong

[Captain PartyMarty]

Hey Guy's

So I was pretty disappointed with my prawns that I caught this weekend. When I put them on the BBQ last night they instantly turned to mush, I had to scrap them off the grill! This what happen from ocean to grill, did I do something wrong?

- Taken from traps put into small cooler (live)
- Drove home took heads off and peeled the shells (leaving only the tails)
- Rinsed with fresh water
- stored in the fridge for 24hours
- grilled

I wasn’t planning on storing them in the fridge for that long but a trip to Emergency room for some stiches on my daughters head derailed dinner plans.

From what I read on this site a better option might have been:
- Take from trap rip head off place tails in ziplock bag with sea water
- Put in cooler with ice
- Peel shell right before cooking
- Grill

Do Prawns really get mushy that quickly if not used right away, or did the fresh water ruin them?

 

[Hookin'up]

Heres what I do,
as soon as they come out of the traps I sort out and toss back the berried ones, then snap the heads off,
throw them in a bucket or wash basin with sea water, and since Im fairly close to run to dock I don't need to change the water it stays fairly cool,
I also try to package up as much sea water as I can and freeze them in it as well, when I cook them I BBQ for aprox 2 mins a side
or the best way to cook is to put them into an empty pot, and in another pot boil salted water once it boils pour that over the prawns and let sit for approx. 4 minutes pull out and enjoy the most perfectly and delicately tasting BC spot prawn ever.

 

[Tips Up]

"- Taken from traps put into small cooler (live)
- Drove home took heads off and peeled the shells (leaving only the tails)"

Did you transport head on in cooler with no water?
Prawns dead before you tooke heads off?
If so... this could be your issue.

"- Rinsed with fresh water
- stored in the fridge for 24hours"
In fridge is good as long as they are not sitting in any water or in partially melted ice. Ice is best but but you need something to keep the prawns above any melted water.

Mushy makes me think they were stored wet or in water, or they died with heads still on.

Another tip... raw prawns are hard to peel. They peel easier after they have been frozen. If I cook them fresh before freezing I will peel them after cooking.


Tips

 

[Captain PartyMarty]

I think I will be doing that aswell from now on. It is likely that most died with the heads on as it is a long trip back to my house. Thanks for the input guy's

 

[spring time]

I heard fresh water makes mushy prawns

 

[Tips Up]

The only time they should be in water is if they are live and you are changing salt water regularly. (not sure why you would want to do this)
Or
When you are puting them in the freezer and the water will become ice. I use fresh water in a zip lock to freeze tails and have no issues for a couple of months anyways. Some people have recommended salt water which I sure is good too.

Same as fish really. Thats why you pull the plug on your cooler so the fish doesn't sit in the water or it will go mushy too.

Tips

 

[Ian]

Mushy could be from getting warm

or

Shellfish basically start to digest themselves as soon as they are dead, removing the heads ASAP stops this.

I de-head, put in ziplocks on ice in the boat, never had an issue. Also, waiting 24hrs to shell some if you desire will be a lot easier then fresh!

Last tip, don't even think of vac-packing spot prawns, the little spikes on the shells pierce the bags sooner or later...

Oh, it is worth saving the heads if you want to make some wicked good shrimp stock....

Very best,

ian

 

[Lucky Tiger]

I keep them in a pail of saltwater and change it often to keep them alive and swimming. Don't overcrowd them. The longer you can do this the more they shed that brown vein full of crap and bait. I like them alive when pulling the heads of then immediately in ziplocks on ice for fresh or in plastic containers covered with freshwater for storage. They will last the winter stored that way. Another tip is to drill a lots of holes in a pail to pour the prawns into when changing the water then back into a pail of fresh seawater.

 

[Red Monster]

Hooker, I like the 4 minutes in boiled saltwater. That sounds like an awesome way to prepare lots of prawns and quite simple.

 

[eaglemaniac]

I totally concur with your methods as well Lucky Tiger. I also soak my prawns in seawater changing the water a few times. I'm amazed at the mud and crap that comes off of them with a few soaks. When I get them home there still well alive and kicking. Off with there heads and into Zip-Loc containers, fill with filtered tap water cover with lids and a few elastic bands to keep the lids on and freeze. Last for two years easy with little depreciation. eman

 

[seadna]

Mushy could be from getting warm

or

Shellfish basically start to digest themselves as soon as they are dead, removing the heads ASAP stops this.

I de-head, put in ziplocks on ice in the boat, never had an issue. Also, waiting 24hrs to shell some if you desire will be a lot easier then fresh!

Last tip, don't even think of vac-packing spot prawns, the little spikes on the shells pierce the bags sooner or later...

Oh, it is worth saving the heads if you want to make some wicked good shrimp stock....

Very best,

ian

I've vacuum packed my spot prawns many times BUT I do have a "trick" - I line the insides of the vac pack bag with cardboard cut from 12 packs of beer or soda to prevent the spikes from piercing the bags. That works fine.

 

[stones93]

I am pretty sure it was the fresh water rinse. It also makes salmon mushy if you rinse with fresh water!

 

[JuandeOne]

When the heads are still attached after the prawn dies, an enzyme is released that renders the meat mushy. Get those heads off ASAP.

 

[Cuba Libre]

I am pretty sure it was the fresh water rinse. It also makes salmon mushy if you rinse with fresh water!

No... not that. I freeze all my prawns in fresh water and they are great. Normally its letting the prawns get warm that causes them to go mushy.

 

[Angelina_Summer]

When the heads are still attached after the prawn dies, an enzyme is released that renders the meat mushy. Get those heads off ASAP.

I've brought some home, heads on, and actually found it easier to clean (heads pop off nicely) likely due to the condition that everyone is talking about when they die whole. I never experienced them being mushy during or after cooking them, but I've also never peeled them prior to cooking either.

Try cooking them with the shell on, and popping the heads while on the water.

 

[Islandgirl]

I am pretty sure it was the fresh water rinse. It also makes salmon mushy if you rinse with fresh water!

We freeeze ours in fresh water. No mushy prawns. As Lucky Tiger and Eaglemaniac said, keep them alive as long as you can.
They puke/sh#t out all that nasty stuff we have used as bait..\
Who wants to eat that?

 

[jaymasta]

I am pretty sure it was the fresh water rinse. It also makes salmon mushy if you rinse with fresh water!

Aren't most cleaning stations fresh water?

 

[Stress Medicine]

We keep them in a pail of sea water while on board, some times pull heads if we're going to be out for a while and leave tails in clean cool seawater. Once back on shore, they are kept in seawater until heads come off. Then we rinse with fresh water, place in cottage cheese or margarine containers and add enough fresh water to cover, freeze and as soon as they start to tighten up, we top up the water to make sure they are all covered, pop on the lid and back in freezer. We have had prawns over a year old and they are as fresh as if they were just caught. After several years we have given up on ziplock bags and vacuum packing. Both invariably get holes and leak or loose their vacuum. When we thaw them out, the ice block is placed in a bowl of warm water and allowed to thaw over the afternoon. Shucking is real easy after thawing.
If you want to shuck them fresh, it helps to place them in a bowl of ice water for a couple hours. It is easier if you split the shells. We have a neat pair (actually several pairs) of curved scissors to split the shell and expose the sand vein. Gives a nice butterfly prawn.
We BBQ them lots and while we get the odd sticker, this usually works well for us. We always marinate the little fellas for a while before cooking. The marinade always contains a bit of oil which helps prevent sticking. That and cleaning and oiling your grill. We like sesame oil, a little lime juice, salt, pepper and roasted garlic and red pepper spice from Costco.
For boiling, fresh or frozen, lots of water, boiling hard, good shot of coarse salt, tablespoon of chopped garlic, good shot of lime juice, Dump in prawns, maybe a dozen or so at time and stand watch. As soon as they float, take them out. Eat hot immediately or rinse with cold water to stop the cooking and place in fridge. They will over cook if they just sit without cooling. Dip in melted butter or seafood dipping sauce & enjoy.

 

[Ian]

We keep them in a pail of sea water while on board, some times pull heads if we're going to be out for a while and leave tails in clean cool seawater. Once back on shore, they are kept in seawater until heads come off. Then we rinse with fresh water, place in cottage cheese or margarine containers and add enough fresh water to cover, freeze and as soon as they start to tighten up, we top up the water to make sure they are all covered, pop on the lid and back in freezer. We have had prawns over a year old and they are as fresh as if they were just caught. After several years we have given up on ziplock bags and vacuum packing. Both invariably get holes and leak or loose their vacuum. When we thaw them out, the ice block is placed in a bowl of warm water and allowed to thaw over the afternoon. Shucking is real easy after thawing.
If you want to shuck them fresh, it helps to place them in a bowl of ice water for a couple hours. It is easier if you split the shells. We have a neat pair (actually several pairs) of curved scissors to split the shell and expose the sand vein. Gives a nice butterfly prawn.
We BBQ them lots and while we get the odd sticker, this usually works well for us. We always marinate the little fellas for a while before cooking. The marinade always contains a bit of oil which helps prevent sticking. That and cleaning and oiling your grill. We like sesame oil, a little lime juice, salt, pepper and roasted garlic and red pepper spice from Costco.
For boiling, fresh or frozen, lots of water, boiling hard, good shot of coarse salt, tablespoon of chopped garlic, good shot of lime juice, Dump in prawns, maybe a dozen or so at time and stand watch. As soon as they float, take them out. Eat hot immediately or rinse with cold water to stop the cooking and place in fridge. They will over cook if they just sit without cooling. Dip in melted butter or seafood dipping sauce & enjoy.

Dollar stores have the curved scissors and nice crab picks too! Mine originally came from amazon, now I buy them for all my fishing friends, big spender I know $1 each....