Do Seasons Impact The Quality Of Seafood?

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Several factors can impact the quality of seafood. For instance, the worst days of the week to order fish from a restaurant are Sunday and Monday, because it may be several days old by then due to delivery schedules, especially at restaurants that don't specialize in seafood. Even the season when seafood is caught can be a factor. However, Daily Meal learned from chef Ari Kolender, partner at Found Oyster, as well as Queen's Raw Bar & Grill in Los Angeles, and author of How to Cook the Finest Things in the Sea, that the seasonal effect depends on whether you're buying fish or shellfish.

In regard to fish, the chef prefers not to use the term "quality," because it implies that the seafood is either good or bad, depending on the seasonal shift. "It's more about where the fish are," Kolender explains, "They migrate just like birds ... so when, let's say, Spanish Mackerel is not in season off the coast of North Carolina, it is not that if someone caught one it would be 'bad' — just rare as they have moved on for the time being."

So, rather than the season affecting the quality of fish, its freshness and flavor really come down to how it's handled and stored before it gets to you. Some red flags to look for when buying fresh seafood include cloudy and dull eyes, dry edges, and discoloration. Also, fish should not have an ammonia-like or sour odor.

While the catching season doesn't directly impact the freshness and flavor of fish, chef Ari Kolender notes, "There are definitely changes in things such as oysters or lobsters, for instance. Oysters start spawning in the summer months when the water is warmer, and this tends to give them a more soft, creamy texture. Most people think of oysters as a summer delight when in fact they are best in the winter months." That's because many species store glycine to get ready for the dormant period. This form of glucose is the reason lobster, shrimp, and crab taste sweet.

When it comes to lobster, Kolender says, "Lobsters change in their meat-to-shell ratio seasonally. Hard shell lobsters are usually seen in the late spring and early fall, which means that the shells have the biggest amount of meat inside." He continues, "This is because after the lobster goes through the molting process (to grow), it takes time to build itself into its new shell." Through the molting process, which generally starts during the summer, an adult lobster can add 15% to its length up to 3 feet and 40% to its weight by absorbing water and growing a new shell in about two to four weeks by eating its vacated shell.

Whether you're buying oysters or lobsters, there are ways to tell if grocery store seafood is fresh. Oysters should be tightly closed and on ice, so you should avoid ones that are gaping open. For live lobster, look for some leg movement; for lobster meat, look for pearl-like coloration and little to no odor.