Can scallops be frozen? - Everything you need to know

Seafood is one of the most extraordinary food options on the market. Not everyone has a taste for seafood, but those who do know that the flavors are unmatched and that there are plenty of seafood options to enjoy. Whether you like lobster, crab, clams, shrimp, or scallops, you’ll never run out of delicious options.

Of course, these are just some of the options you can find on a seafood menu. You can also easily make most of these products at home. The scallops are one of our favorite options. You can do a lot with scallops and they are perhaps one of the easiest seafood dishes to work with.

A few tasty scallops often go a long way.

Can scallops be frozen?

Yes, you can freeze the scallops if you don’t intend to use them for 1-2 days. This is the best way to keep them longer and is an easy process to keep your scallops safe for when you are ready to prepare them. 

In this guide, we will talk about how to freeze scallops. We’ll provide you with an overview of the best process for freezing scallops and share other scallop-related information that you may find useful if you have or plan to have them in your kitchen.

Read on to find out how to freeze scallops and much more.

The Ultimate Guide to Freezing Scallops

Scallops are a unique food that actually falls under the category of clams and mollusks. They are small and round and you don’t have to take the meat out of a shell or anything to prepare or serve them.

Originally they come inside a shell, but when you buy a scallop, there is no shell anymore.

The scallop is the meat of a species of bivalve with a shell. You won’t find scallops in fresh water, but they are available in all oceans.

When you eat a scallop, you eat the white adductor muscle that sticks out from between the shells.  This muscle is actually what opens and closes the shell when it’s inside.

You eat the muscle, along with the coral, which is a bright orange section within the shell.

Properly Storing and Freezing Scallops

Storing and freezing scallops is quite simple. It doesn’t require a lot of effort and your scallops will last a long time if you put the effort into following the steps correctly.

When you buy scallops, they are already shelled, so you don’t have to worry about going through that process before freezing them.

To know that your scallops are good, they should always have a bright white color to their meat.  You should not see any browning or discoloration. 

You have to be picky about where and how you buy your scallops, simply because you want to make sure you’re getting high-quality scallops that won’t go bad the same day you buy them.

Scallops can be tricky because they don’t last very long outside of freezing temperatures. In fact, most of the time you’ll buy them frozen or have to ask for ice to keep them cold while you take them home.

Sometimes this is already included in the packaging. You can also store them in a fridge on the way home. This is perhaps one of the most overlooked things for scallop storage. 

When you initially store your scallops, they should go in the fridge as soon as possible.  You don’t need to keep them in water.

Wrap them up and put them in the fridge for 1-2 days. For best results, you should use or freeze them within 24 hours. 

If you’re not going to use them right away, go ahead and freeze the scallops. It’s very easy to do. Here are the steps for freezing scallops:

1. You can rinse the scallops if you want, but it’s not necessary.
2. Place the scallops in a heavy-duty freezer bag or resealable freezer-safe container.
3. Label, date, and seal the scallops for safekeeping.
4. Place the scallops in the coldest part of your freezer. We recommend keeping them away from the freezer door for best results.
5. Store scallops in the freezer for up to 3 months.

See! The process of freezing and storing scallops is totally easy. You can hardly beat this process when you want something easy.

How to use scallops after freezing

When you’re ready to use your scallops after they’ve been frozen, it’s another very simple process. It is best to place the frozen scallops in the refrigerator the night before and allow them to thaw in there overnight. 

You can also thaw them by placing them in a bowl of water for about 20 minutes. 

The most important thing to remember when thawing scallops is that you should not thaw them at room temperature. This can cause them to break.

If you rinse your scallops before cooking, be sure to pat them dry. Attempting to cook scallops that have too much moisture can cause problems in the cooking process and your scallops will not brown as they should while cooking.

Some cooks will tell you to soak the scallops in milk. Again, this isn’t necessary, just a helpful tip that can help keep the meat juicy and tender.  It can also help remove any fishy odors or flavors that may remain in the scallop. 

You will see that some recipes recommend milk and others do not even mention it. It is mainly a matter of preference.

Preparation and use of scallops

Scallops can be prepared in many different ways. You can sauté them, cook them in a little oil, grill them, roast them or bake them.

These are just some of the more popular ways to prepare scallops. You can do almost anything you want with them, and they generally take very little time to cook.

The best way to cook them is to sauté them on the fire, which takes less than 10 minutes to cook. You know a scallop is done when it’s browned on both sides.

If you cook them another way, you can see if the scallops break slightly around the edges. The white part should also acquire an opaque color.

Here are some delicious ways to prepare and serve scallops:

• Lemon Garlic Butter
• Garlic and Basil Butter
• scallops risotto
• scallops in pasta
• Tiger milk
• Grilled Scallop Tacos
• salads
• Hazelnut Crusted Scallops
• Sweet and Sour Grilled Scallops
• Baked scallops au gratin

As you can see, there are many options for preparing scallops. Perhaps the most popular option is to sauté them in garlic and butter.

The other popular option is to grill them. They don’t have much of a natural flavor, so garlic, butter, and any other herbs or spices help bring out the flavors and make them really delicious.

You want to make sure that you don’t overfill the scallops when you cook them. You should always buy scallops already frozen or act within 1-2 days of purchasing . They won’t stay fresh or good for much longer.

Cooking the scallops is the easy part, it’s the storage that you have to do very carefully. However, storage is quite simple and we are sure that you will not have any problems with the process.

Related questions

We hope you find this guide to freezing scallops an informative resource. Scallops are very easy to prepare, store, and freeze, and you really can’t go wrong as long as you stick to all of the timing suggestions.

We invite you to review the following section of questions and answers for additional information that may be useful to you.

Is it bad that the scallops are undercooked?

Eating undercooked shellfish, including scallops, carries risks. If not cooked properly, they can harbor harmful bacteria that can make you very sick. It is important that you cook the scallops thoroughly and completely.

Are scallops healthy?

Scallops are quite nutritious for you if you use them properly. They are high in protein and contain virtually no saturated fat.

They also contain minerals such as potassium, magnesium and phosphorus. Scallops can also be a valuable source of vitamin B12.

Are scallops expensive?

Scallops can be expensive, just like almost any other shellfish you’re trying to buy. Mainly, the cost increase is based on supply and demand.

The supply of scallops can be more difficult, but they are in high demand and therefore the price is high to compensate and try to limit the shortage. This occurs with many varieties of shellfish.