Learn How to Clean Shrimp just like caterers and culinary professionals everywhere. This quick and easy guide will show you how to clean and devein shrimp so that your best recipes always have beautiful, juicy shrimp.
Technically, it is not necessary to clean shrimp. The black line on the shrimp’s bottom, which is also known as a “vein,” is its digestive tract. The shrimp may be darker than the rest of the meat because of sand, algae, or other grit that came from what it ate before it was caught.
Some people find it gross or are turned off by the word “shrimp poop,” but it’s not really bad to eat. However, shrimp just look better without it.
On the other hand, peeling shrimp before eating them makes for a better experience texture-wise. But even that isn’t absolutely necessary. On the East Coast, seafood markets sell spiced, boiled shrimp that is still on the peel. A lot of people love it. In culinary school, I ate shrimp in the shell, and the worst thing was that my jaw hurt after a while.
You can get better shrimp for less money and a wider range of sizes if you can clean and shell our own prawns and shrimp. In my book, that’s one of the best reasons to do it yourself.
Deveining shrimp is a common step in preparing shrimp recipes. However, some confusion exists around whether it’s necessary to devein both the top and bottom of shrimp or if just doing the top is sufficient. In this guide, we’ll provide a complete overview of shrimp anatomy, explain what deveining entails, and offer best practices for prepping shrimp.
Shrimp Anatomy and the “Veins”
To understand deveining it helps to first know the basic anatomy of a shrimp. Shrimp have a curved top and flatter underside. On the topside there is a dark line running along the length of the shrimp. Contrary to popular belief, this is not actually a vein but rather the digestive tract of the shrimp, also called the sand vein. Removing this helps clean the shrimp and prevent any grittiness.
On the underside of the shrimp is a translucent line known as the blood vein or ventral nerve cord, This is part of the shrimp’s nervous system The blood vein does not usually contain waste and is not necessary to remove in most cases
Do You Have To Devein Shrimp?
Many recipes simply call for “deveined shrimp” without specifying top or bottom Here are a few factors to consider regarding whether deveining is necessary
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For food safety, it is not required to devein shrimp. Consuming the tract does not pose any health risks.
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Removing the digestive tract on the topside does help improve texture and flavor by removing grit and waste. This is especially recommended for larger shrimp where the tract is more prominent.
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Deveining the blood vein on the underside is primarily an aesthetic choice and not needed for taste or food safety. Most recipes do not require removing this vein.
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For dishes like shrimp cocktail or salad where the shrimp is served cold and intact, deveining the top enhances presentation. In recipes where shrimp is chopped, battered, or heavily seasoned, deveining is less important.
How To Devein Shrimp
If you do choose to devein your shrimp, either the top or both sides, here are some common methods:
Using a Knife
- Make a shallow incision along the top curve of the shrimp from head to tail.
- Use the knife tip or a toothpick to lift out the digestive tract.
- Rinse the shrimp under cold water when finished.
Toothpick or Fork
- Insert a toothpick or fork under the vein area beneath the shell’s second joint from the tail.
- Gently lift the vein and pull it out in one piece.
- Rinse the cleaned shrimp well.
Specialized Deveining Tool
- A shrimp deveiner has a curved blade matching the shrimp’s shape.
- In one smooth motion, slice along the back and remove the vein.
- Rinse the shrimp thoroughly after.
No Incision Method
- Push up from under the vein near the second shell segment from the tail.
- The vein will detach and you can pull it out with your fingers.
- Give shrimp a good rinse when done.
Key Tips for Deveining Shrimp
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When buying shrimp, go for fresh or thawed rather than pre-deveined to ensure quality.
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Devein just before cooking for maximum flavor and freshness.
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Chill the shrimp in ice water for 15-20 minutes before deveining to firm them up. This makes removing veins easier.
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For butterflied shrimp, you only need to devein the top since the underside is already exposed.
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Work over a bowl to catch any juices and reserve for seafood stock or sauces.
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Devein gently to avoid tearing the shrimp.
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Always rinse thoroughly after deveining to remove any residue. Pat dry with paper towels.
Do You Need To Devein Both Sides of Shrimp?
Following proper deveining and rinsing techniques helps ensure tender, delicious shrimp devoid of any undesirable texture or flavor. With this knowledge in hand, you can decide on the best deveining approach for your needs and master shrimp prep.
Tutorial tips and variations
- Sizes of shrimp: Shrimp are sorted by size and given a number both on the boat and in the factory. This number tells you how many shrimp are in a pound. The number 16/20, for instance, means that there are sixteen to twenty shrimp in a pound. Sometimes you’ll see the letter U before a number, like U10. In other words, there are about 10 shrimp or less per pound.
- The higher the number, the smaller the shrimp. The lower the number, the larger (and pricier) the shrimp. Don’t be afraid to go small. You can make shrimp salad, stir-fry, or a big batch of fried rice with tiny shrimp. For big events, save the biggest shrimp for things like super fancy shrimp cocktail or shrimp skewers. For extra colossal shrimp, U10 shrimp means less than 10 shrimp per pound. For colossal shrimp, U15 shrimp means less than 15 shrimp per pound. For extra jumbo shrimp, 16/20 shrimp means 16 to 20 shrimp per pound. For extra large shrimp, 26/30 shrimp means 26 to 30 shrimp per pound.
- Fresh vs. Unless you live right on the water, frozen shrimp is the best option. Most of the shrimp that comes to our store has already been frozen, usually as soon as it’s caught on the boat. That’s why I always buy frozen shrimp. Getting the freshest shrimp possible means letting them thaw at home. Someone else thawed the shrimp before you bought it at the store, but you don’t know when. Might as well just buy frozen.
- How to Buy Shrimp: Have fun while you’re shopping for shrimp. Fresh shrimp that is of good quality should smell salty and even sweet, like the ocean. A sign of old shrimp is black spots on the shells that smell like ammonia and are slimy. If the shrimp have these traits, you should go somewhere else.
- How to store shrimp: Put fresh or thawed shrimp in the bottom drawer of your fridge so that any leaks don’t get on other food in the fridge. Use fresh or thawed shrimp with 1 to 2 days.
- Wild vs. farmed shrimp: That depends on your and your grocery budget. Wild-caught shrimp taste better, but they can cost a lot more. If you can find it, farm-raised shrimp from a responsible grower is a good choice. If you’re not sure, read the label carefully. Shrimp farmers are proud of their efforts to be environmentally friendly and will put that information on the label. Learn all the latest news at SeafoodWatch. org.
- Stock of shrimp: Freeze those shells and make a tasty batch of Homemade Shrimp Stock. For this recipe, you’ll need 4 cups of shrimp shells from 2 pounds of shrimp. You can gather it in batches, though. Until you have enough, put raw shrimp shells in a plastic bag and freeze them. You can technically use cooked shells to make stock, but the flavor will be less strong. Using shrimp stock in seafood sauce in the future will make sure that it has a strong ocean flavor.
Technically, no. The shrimp has a small black line on its bottom that is called a “vein.” It is just a digestive tract. The meat could be darker than the rest of the shrimp because of what it ate before it was caught. It could also have sand or algae in it. It could have some sand in it, or algae. Some people find it gross or are turned off by the word “shrimp poop,” but it’s not really bad to eat. It just looks better without it.
It’s better for your taste and texture to peel shrimp before eating them, but it’s not always necessary depending on the dish. On the East Coast, seafood markets sell spiced, boiled shrimp that is still on the peel. A lot of people love it.
Do you remove the vein on the bottom of shrimp?
How do you devein shrimp?
Here are some common methods to help you devein shrimp effortlessly: Grab a small, sharp knife and gently cut along the top (curved side) of a deshelled shrimp from the top of the top side of the tail to the tip. Once you’ve made the incision, you can easily remove the dark digestive tract with the knife’s tip, a toothpick or even your fingers.
Can You devein shrimp without cutting open?
You can also devein shrimp without cutting open the shrimp. Simply stick a toothpick under the section of the vein directly under the second joint from the tail of a (shelled or de-shelled) shrimp. Now pull up gently and the vein will be exposed. Gently pull it out using your fingers and that’s it!
Should you devein shrimp?
For larger shrimps, it would make sense to devein them partly due to the fact that the tract is more pronounced and so is the contents inside, which can alter, slightly, the flvaor of the shrimp. For smaller shrimps however, that shouldn’t be a problem.
Do you need a deveining tool to cook shrimp?
These are especially handy if you tend to cook with a lot of shrimp, as they are an all-in-one tool that can peel, devein, and butterfly the shrimp. It’s not necessary to use a special tool to do so, but deveining your shrimp is definitely an important step in the cooking process.