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With frozen cooked shrimp, good looks only go so far
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Published June 22, 2005
Taster's Choice panelists would buy frozen cooked shrimp from Publix - but only in a pinch. And, even then, they would bury it in a recipe or doctor it up a lot.
Our disappointed panelists objected less to the high salt content of some of the frozen shrimp and more to the bland taste. All of the samples were thawed according to package directions, mostly under cold water.
By themselves, the shrimp were often mushy, thin and flavorless.
At first, panelists were optimistic because the shrimp were good size and looked appetizing, with great color and shape. But looks were deceiving.
Publix got the most points among our five samples. The store's 2-pound bag contained 26 to 30 shrimp and sold for $21.99. Publix received 58 out of a possible 80 points from our judges. Only one panelist said she would buy the brand, adding that it was the least salty of the bunch and "not too soggy."
Another panelist said the Publix shrimp were too white and looked like "they hailed from a farm in Alaska."
Contessa ($9.99 for a 12-ounce package with 31 to 40 shrimp) got 42 points from our judges. The Contessa shrimp looked good, but the overall opinion was low.
"These would be my pick for shrimp cocktail but it's hard to detect any shrimp flavor," one panelist said.
The other brands were even less desirable.
Wal-Mart shrimp ($6.44 for a package of 41 to 60 shrimp) received 29 points. Singleton ($9.69 for a 12-ounce package of 28 shrimp) got 22 points and Master Chef ($15.98 for 51 to 60 pieces) got 21 points.
The Master Chef shrimp (purchased at a local Albertsons) was described as "dirty" tasting by two of the four panelists.
"This tastes like it was farm raised on a very muddy acre," said one judge.
Panelists were Jim Yockey; aesthetician, Tierra Verde Salon & Day Spa; personal chef Julie Overton; Bob Devin Jones, artistic director of Studio@620 and Nan Jensen, registered dietitian with Pinellas County Extension. All products were tasted blind.
Send suggestions for product testing to Taste section, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731 or e-mail them to krieta@sptimes.com Please put TEST SUGGESTION in the subject line. To read past Taster's Choice columns, go to www.sptimes.com/food
RANKINGS
No. 1: Publix.
No. 2: Contessa.
No. 3: Wal-Mart.
[Last modified June 21, 2005, 09:31:32]
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