Fresh Abalone for Sale Online Improves Your Health and Tastes Great

If you’ve never had properly prepared fresh abalone, you’re missing out on a unique, tasty treat from the sea. The edible mollusk, found along the U.S. Pacific coast, as well as off the coast of Mexico and Japan, is a delicacy, but it does have to be prepared properly. While you can buy canned abalone, it’s not always easy to find fresh abalone for sale unless you live on the coast. If you’re not lucky enough to have a fresh seafood market nearby, though, you can sometimes find fresh abalone for sale at an online seafood market on the West Coast.

Availability of Abalone

Abalone season runs from April to July, and again from August to November. During those months, divers with a license can dive for fresh abalone in the waters off the California coast. It is, however, illegal to sell wild-caught abalone in California. All of the abalone for sale at a seafood market is harvested from one of several long-running abalone farms. Farmed abalone from these closed-system California farms top the list of the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s sustainable seafood best choices list.

Preparation

Abalone is a tough, chewy mollusk with a rich, unmistakable flavor. The edible part of the shellfish is the adductor muscle, generally called the foot, that helps it cling to rocks. After removing the abalone from the shell and cleaning away the guts, the skirt and the mantle, the foot must be tenderized to reduce its toughness. The most common way to tenderize abalone is to slice it thinly and pound it with a heavy object. Marinades can also help break down the tough flesh.

Cooking

Abalone can be eaten raw or cooked in a number of ways. In Japan, it is often served raw in thin strips with wasabi and soy sauce. Abalone can also be stewed slowly to tenderize the meat, or cooked very quickly in a stir-fry. It may be served pan-fried, steamed or poached, but one of the most popular ways of eating abalone is in minced and mixed with batter to make abalone fritters.

Abalone meat has a texture that absorbs other flavors well, making marinades a delicious way of adding more flavor, and because its strong flavor stands up so well to other flavors, it can take flavors like ginger, wasabi, citrus and garlic.

Nutrition

Abalone is a good source of omega-3 EPA and omega-3 DHA, as well as omega-6 AA. Three ounces of abalone provides 89 calories, of which 6 calories are from fat, nearly all of it polyunsaturated or monounsaturated. It also provides 14.5 g of protein and 15% of the DV for iron.

If you’re lucky enough to find fresh abalone for sale, it’s a treat that’s not to be missed. Check at your favorite place to buy seafood online for availability of fresh abalone, abalone steaks and abalone skirts.