Fresh vs. Frozen

It is hard to argue with the theory that fresh foods are always going to be better than frozen, and with scallops we think this theory holds true. Fresh scallops should be sweet, tender, and have a richness to them whether they are seared, poached, or served raw as in ceviche. As long as the scallops are "dry," they will develop a flavorful brown crust when seared.

Good quality frozen scallops are flash frozen at sea, and because of that you can count on the flavor of frozen scallops, when properly thawed, to be as good as fresh. The issue with frozen scallops is their texture. Not only do they shed a lot of moisture when being cooked, making a good, deep brown sear difficult, but we’ve found the overall texture of frozen scallops tougher because of the ice crystals damaging the muscle fiber during the freezing and thawing process. In addition, many frozen scallops are preserved with sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), which leaves then with an off flavor and excess moisture when thawed. Always check the ingredient list on the bag of frozen scallops.

Both fresh and frozen scallops make for some great eating, and you can’t beat the convenience of having a bag of IQF (Individually Quick Frozen) scallops on hand, as long as the scallops were "dry" when frozen (and don't contain STPP). Because of the excess moisture that comes from freezing, frozen scallops might work better in recipes that don't feature a browned crust. But for the best flavor and texture, we recommend fresh scallops when you can get them.