How much and how to store squid in the refrigerator and freezer at home

Squid is a high-calorie and nutritious seafood. If we consider it from a biological point of view, it is, like mussels, a mollusk. This means that storing squid at home is quite difficult because the meat is too tender. This product can be found chilled and frozen, as well as dried and boiled. For those who decide to purchase this seafood, it would be a good idea to find out how to store squid, how much and where, in order to prolong its freshness for as long as possible.

Refrigerated storage

After purchase, refrigerated squid can be stored for 2 to 3 days. The purchase must be immediately placed in the refrigerator. It is impossible to keep the mollusk at room temperature even for a short time. A sharp change in temperature causes meat to spoil and become hazardous to health. Next, you need to maintain a constant temperature in the freezer and prevent the product from defrosting.

You cannot store squid in the refrigerator without packaging. They will very soon become weathered and absorb the odors of other products.

In addition, close proximity to meat dishes will cause the surface of the shellfish to become hard within a day.

How to easily and quickly clean fresh and defrosted squid at home?

Procedure for cleaning fresh/chilled squid:

Place the squid on a work surface.

How to quickly and easily clean fresh squid: step 1

Take the clam's head just behind the eyes (where it connects to the mantle). Pull your head forward, breaking the ligaments. The insides should slide out. Be careful not to damage the ink (sepia) bag.

How to quickly and easily clean fresh squid: step 2

Find the chitinous chord inside the mantle and remove it.

How to quickly and easily clean fresh squid: step 3

Remove the top film by carefully prying it off with a knife.

How to quickly and easily clean fresh squid: step 4

Rinse and, if necessary, divide into portions.

How to quickly and easily clean fresh squid: step 5

Cut off the clam's tentacles and place them separately. Remove the squid's beak located between the tentacles. Pour boiling water over the tentacles and place them in ice water. Rinse, rubbing thoroughly with your fingers to remove the thin skin.

How to quickly and easily clean fresh squid: step 6
Procedure for cleaning defrosted squid:

Important: Frozen squids should be thawed by placing them in cold water.

Pour boiling water over slightly thawed squid carcasses. Leave for 30-60 s.
Remove the squid from the boiling water and place it in ice water. Due to a sharp change in temperature, the skin peels off on its own.

Rinse the squid under running water, removing any remaining skin.

Freezer storage

Frozen squid can be stored for several months. Depending on the temperature, the shelf life may vary:

at -12°C the meat will remain fresh for 6 months,
at -18°C will remain fresh for up to 12 months from the moment of freezing.

It is important to remember that over time, when stored in the freezer, meat becomes tougher. Therefore, you should not keep it frozen for too long. It is recommended to store squid in the freezer for no more than 4 months.

How to choose chilled and frozen squid?

Important: the younger the squid, the more tender its meat. Choose small carcasses.

What to look for when choosing chilled squid:

The carcass is dense and elastic.
The color of the meat under the skin is only white!
The skin is intact, without obvious damage.
Squids must have a chitinous chord (spine).
Smell: fresh fish. A faint ammonia odor may be present.

What to look for when choosing frozen squid:

The amount of ice on the carcass is 8% of the total weight of the cephalopod.
Frozen carcasses are easily separated from each other.
The color of the meat under the skin is only white!
The skin is intact, without obvious damage.

Storage after defrosting

Squid meat that has been thawed can be stored refrigerated for no more than 2 to 3 days. This product cannot be re-frozen. Lightly boiled shellfish can be stored in the freezer for another 7 days. To do this, lightly boil the meat (keep in boiling water for no more than 1 minute), wrap it in foil and, after completely cooling, place it in the freezer.

To ensure that the squid meat is completely ready for consumption after defrosting, it is boiled until tender.

How to cook peeled squid in water after boiling for salad and how long?

Squids are cooked one or two carcasses at a time to prevent overcooking of the seafood.
Spices and seasonings used when preparing squid: salt, peppercorns, dill. If desired, you can also add basil or parsley.
Pour 1.5-2 liters of water into a saucepan, add spices and salt, bring to a boil.
Place the cleaned squid carcasses into boiling water. Cooking time: 2 min.
Remove seafood from water and add next batch. Ready seafood should be cooled immediately.

Important: if you cook a lot of shellfish, add water, salt and spices from time to time.

Chef Ilya Lazerson offers an interesting way to clean and prepare squid. A detailed master class can be watched in the video at the end of the article.

Storing ready meals

A salad that contains boiled or fried squid, a sandwich, or shellfish meat as a separate dish is stored for no longer than 1 day from the date of preparation. And you can take such dishes out of the refrigerator and put them on the table only immediately before eating them.

Boiled (fried) squid meat spoils even faster than chilled squid. Therefore, it also needs to be kept only in the cold. The container in which the meat is located is covered with film or a tight lid so that it does not weather and absorb foreign odors.

Like chilled, boiled squid meat, it should not be kept open, much less near meat dishes.

How can you store thawed squid?

Thawed squid cannot be stored for a long time; this seafood spoils very quickly. If you have defrosted more squid than you will use, nothing bad will happen if you boil them and freeze them already prepared. In the future, before using, it will be enough to immerse them in boiling water for 30 seconds, and the squid will be ready for cutting into a salad or other dishes.

How long you can store raw thawed squid depends on the temperature at which you will do it. You can marinate them in lemon juice, soy sauce and pepper, and at temperatures around zero they can be stored for no more than 3 hours. But it’s still better not to store raw squid defrosted. No matter how much time it takes you to prepare a festive table, it is always better to defrost and cook this healthy seafood immediately before consumption.

Storing dried squid

Dried squid can be stored for the longest time: about 1 year. The exact shelf life is indicated on the packaging. Long-term storage is best done exclusively in the refrigerator, in a container with a hermetically sealed lid.

Despite the fact that this product undergoes special processing, dried squid cannot be stored without refrigeration. It will quickly lose moisture and in return will acquire a bitter taste.

Dried squids in closed factory packaging are stored according to the terms and conditions specified by the manufacturer.

How long can you store squid in the freezer?

SQUID AND CUTTLE ICE CREAM

Frozen squid and cuttle. Specifications

Date of introduction 2014-07-01

The goals, basic principles and basic procedure for carrying out work on interstate standardization are established by GOST 1.0-92 “Interstate standardization system. Basic provisions" and GOST 1.2-2009 "Interstate standardization system. Interstate standards, rules and recommendations for interstate standardization. Rules for development, adoption, application, updating and cancellation"

Standard information

1 DEVELOPED by the Interstate Technical Committee MTK 300 “Fish products, food, feed, technical and packaging”, the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography” (FSUE “VNIRO”) and the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “Pacific Research Institute” fishery)

2 INTRODUCED by the Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology (TK 300)

3 ADOPTED by the Interstate Council for Standardization, Metrology and Certification (protocol dated May 12, 2011 N 39)

The following voted for adoption:

Short name of the country according to MK (ISO 3166) 004-97

Abbreviated name of the national standardization body

Gosstandart of the Republic of Kazakhstan

4 By Order of the Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology dated July 5, 2013 N 284-st, the interstate standard GOST 20414-2011 was put into effect as a national standard of the Russian Federation on July 1, 2014.

5 INSTEAD GOST 20414-93

Information about changes to this standard is published in the annual information index “National Standards”, and the text of changes and amendments is published in the monthly information index “National Standards”. In case of revision (replacement) or cancellation of this standard, the corresponding notice will be published in the monthly information index “National Standards”. Relevant information, notifications and texts are also posted in the public information system - on the official website of the Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology on the Internet

An amendment has been made, published in IUS No. 7, 2021

Amendment made by database manufacturer

Storage tips

Frozen shellfish (they can be peeled or unpeeled) should be wrapped in foil or parchment paper so that they are completely covered. This will allow them to be stored without freezing to each other, like separate portions. Foil (parchment) will prevent the meat from freezing and preserve its structure.

It is better to reduce the shelf life of squid at home by at least a third. This is due to the fact that before the moment of sale, this seafood had already been in the warehouse and in the store for some time. Therefore, no one can know for sure about its degree of freshness, and poisoning from stale seafood is very dangerous.

Squid should be stored only in tightly closed containers.
It is better to peel this product before heat treatment (it has a shorter shelf life when peeled).
The packaging of seafood (if it is factory-made) is opened immediately before cooking. Until this time, it is better to store shellfish meat in original packaging, following the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Before storing squid, it is wrapped in a special plastic film, foil or parchment, although it can also be stored in plastic bags and cling film.
An uncut carcass can be stored refrigerated for no more than 1 day. It is better to cut it immediately, within a few hours after it is purchased.

Storing fresh squid

Fresh squid can be sold frozen or chilled. Storage conditions for shellfish affect their shelf life.

Fresh squid can be stored in the main compartment of the refrigerator for 48 hours. Experienced housewives shorten this period by at least 12 hours, since they do not know how long the seafood lay on the refrigerated counter before purchasing it.
If seafood is frozen and stored in a freezer at a temperature of 18 degrees below zero, it will not spoil within a year.
At a temperature of 12 degrees below zero, squid can be stored for 6 months.
If the freezer temperature is higher than -12°C, they should be consumed within 3 months.

Even at very low temperatures, it is still not recommended to store squid for more than 4 months, as they will begin to stale.

In order for squid to remain safe and retain its organoleptic qualities for as long as possible, you should know and take into account several important points.

Chilled squid can be sold either gutted or unpeeled. If you purchased unpeeled shellfish, they must be cleared of all excess as soon as possible, otherwise they will not last long. Only a thin film is left covering the carcasses.
Squids cannot stand the proximity of meat. After lying next to him, they become hard. In the freezer, these products must be stored as far apart as possible. In this case, it doesn’t hurt to put the squid in a container with a tight-fitting lid.
To prevent squid carcasses from sticking together and absorbing foreign odors, they are wrapped in parchment or even foil. Cling film is not used for this.
If squids were purchased in vacuum packaging, you can open it only before cooking the shellfish. It is important to comply with the storage conditions and shelf life of the product indicated on the packaging.
When freezing squid, put date labels on the packaging so that the product does not expire.
Once you purchase squid, place it in the refrigerator or freezer as soon as possible, as shellfish can spoil in just a few hours at room temperature.
Squid cannot be re-frozen, so you should not remove excess carcasses from the refrigerator. If you still defrost seafood, put it in boiling water for literally 1 minute, then put it in the refrigerator. This will extend their life by 1 week, but this is the maximum period. Squids should be defrosted in the refrigerator, otherwise they will quickly spoil.

Squids have many beneficial properties, contain copper, iodine and other elements necessary for the body, and a lot of protein. Despite their high nutritional value, these cephalopods have a low calorie content. When cooked correctly, they are delicious. At the same time, these seafood are prepared very quickly. It is not surprising that many are happy to make snacks from them for everyday and holiday tables. However, due to ignorance of the rules and shelf life of the product, these dishes may become less tasty and even unsafe for health. Every housewife who at least sometimes prepares seafood dishes needs to know how and how much to store squid.

Do you use expired food for cooking at home?

Yes, the main thing is to process it if it is meat or expired kefir for pancakes.

27.04%

No, it is very dangerous and not useful.

37.6%

If the products have fungus or mold, then we throw them away; if they are a couple of days past their expiration date, we use them for food, even without heat or other treatment.

35.36%

Voted: 1694

How to cook squid correctly: 7 ways

Cooking in a steamer

Wash and clean the carcasses thoroughly.
Place them in a bowl.
Add some sweet peas and bay leaves to the special compartment.
Select a 9-minute program.
After the allotted time, open the lid and remove the squid.

Instead of a double boiler, use a steam bath. Place a colander on a pan filled with boiling water, and place the squid in it. Cook for 6 minutes.

Microwave cooking

Clean fresh raw squid.
Dry them thoroughly on a napkin.
Place in a microwave safe container.
Mix a glass of water with lemon or lime juice and add salt.
Pour this mixture into the container with the carcass.
Cover the container with a lid, opening the evaporation hatch in it.
Cook squid at 700 watts for 3 minutes.

Cooking on the stove

Pour water into a container, add salt to taste and place on the stove.
Prepare the squid by scalding it (to remove the skin).
Place the purified product in boiling water.
Cook for 2 minutes.

Cooking frozen shellfish (with defrosting)

Remove the clams from the freezer and place in a clean bowl.
Leave to defrost in the room or on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for 10 hours.
Then drain the resulting liquid and rinse the product.
Scald the carcasses with boiling water, then put them in cold water and remove the skin.
Pour water into the pan, add salt and spices.
After the water boils, put the carcasses in it and cook for 2 minutes.

Cooking frozen carcasses (without defrosting)

Remove the squid from the freezer.
Place them in the sink or large bowl.
Boil water in a kettle.
Pour boiling water over the carcasses and rinse under running cold water, while removing the skin.
Cook in a saucepan for 2 minutes, adding salt to the water to taste.

10-second cooking of squid

Clean and dry the squid.
Pour water into a saucepan, add salt and boil.
Drop one carcass into boiling water.
After 10 seconds, remove from boiling water.
Repeat with each carcass.

Preparing squid for salad

Cut the cleaned and dried carcasses into small rings, the thickness of which should not exceed 1 cm.
Place in water and boil for at least 1.5 minutes.
If the diameter of the rings is less than a centimeter, they are cooked for only 40–50 seconds.
After cooking, drain the shellfish in a colander.

How to clean raw frozen squid

A raw shellfish is a rather terrifying sight, especially for young housewives who believe that its cleansing is a whole science. In fact, everything is quite simple, the main thing is to follow the sequence of steps:

Leave the frozen carcass at room temperature for 1–2 hours to defrost.
Pull her head, after which all the insides will be removed.
Use a knife to cut off the tentacles, starting from eye level.
The tentacles contain a beak; it is hard and not suitable for food. They carefully break it off, making sure that no fragments remain.
Now they take out the spine, which looks like a long strip of plastic, feel it with your fingers and pull it out.
Afterwards, the fillets are washed with water and dried well with a towel.
To remove the film, the squid is first dipped in boiling water, then in cold water.
After this, the skin will curl up and can be easily removed by hand in a few seconds.