Market Report: May 20, 2013

May 22, 2013

Soft-shell crabs

Soft-Shell Crabs

Soft-shell crabs are a favorite seafood delicacy. Even though all crabs shed their shells to grow, only a few types of crab can actually be eaten in this form. The blue crab is the only commercially available soft-shell product. They are shipped live but typically called “fresh.” Sometimes the soft-shell crab will move when touched. If they are strong they will arrive live, but it is most common for them to perish in transit. The only real way to determine the freshness of the blue crab is the smell. Blue crabs that have a distinct ammonia odor should not be served, but if the crab does not have an odor, they are still fresh enough to eat.

See our article on how to clean a soft-shell crab.

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Our thoughts and prayers going out the OKC community.

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All orders placed after 4:00 PM will be delivered the next business afternoon.
If you have any questions please give us a call at 877-215-4872.

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Notes from our buyer

Live Crawfish

Crawfish are holding steady on price and availability. We are starting to see consistant temps in the mid to high 80s which will start to harden shells and send the crawfish packing for cooler ground. Just a reminder- Memorial Day Weekend is a big boil weekend, so make sure to call ahead with any special request for this weekend.

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Copper River Salmon

Sockeyes and kings are finally here.  The opening catch on sockeyes was down about 100,000 lbs from last year, but only about 20,000 lbs off the average of 80,000 lbs.  The next batch will be at a lower price this weekend.  Kings are much more expensive, but also much harder to get.  Please get with your sales reps on your usage.

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Halibut
The Halibut looks fantastic – size 20-40 directly from Alaska.

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Soft shell crabs
We are seeing our first whales today, and we should have more for the weekend.  Get with your sales rep for preorders!

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Salmon
Canadian and North Sea salmon fillet prices continue to be high due to high demand.  I hope to see some relief with the opening of the wild salmon season, but it does not look good.

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Gulf Oysters

Prices are up on 100 count sacks and four pound gallons.  In May, the oyster harvesters must have their oysters under refrigeration within four hours of harvest in order for them to be sold as shell stock (100 count sacks).  This will prevent the smaller companies from having 100 count sacks available.  This also drives the market up.  We will have product available for our loyal customers.

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American Red Snapper

We have some beautiful snapper in.  Catches are up a bit and prices better.

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Scallops

Looks like U/10 dry scallops are going to be tight for the next two years.  The quotes are shrinking, and the product projections are not looking good.  Prices have already begun to rise.

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Tuna

Our tuna is great.  Prices are much better this week.

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Mahi Mahi

Prices have dropped a bit.  Looks like catches are up.

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East Coast Oysters

We are seeing more varieties with the weather improving.

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Grouper

Grouper is really coming in now.  Prices are nice.

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Our farmed striped bass is from right here in Texas.  It is harvested, transported, prepared, and shipped under controlled temps.  This increases the quality and shelf life for you.

Redfish

This is a fantastic fish for any application and is consistently the freshest fish we have.

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Black Drum

Prices are steady now.  Product is fantastic.

We are seeing some domestic meat now.  Get your pre-orders in, and we will do our best to fill them.

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Lane Snapper

Lanes are here and are beautiful.
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Domestic Catfish

Prices are steady but quality is great!!!  Farmed right here in Texas.

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Mongchong, Opah, and Barracuda

Looking for something from Hawaii???  We have a great partner over there that supplies us with fantastic fish from the Hawaiian waters.

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Seabass

We have a variety of seabass options.  We have H&G sized 20-30 kg and 30+ kg, as well as fillets cut from those sizes.  Get with your sales rep for details.

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Live Lobsters

We offer a full range of sizes of live lobsters straight from Maine and Canada.  Order today, and we will get them to you tomorrow.

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Rainbow ‘Green’, Golden, and Ruby trout

We are expecting a price increase on the golden, ruby, whole, and tail on trout in the next 30 days.  Transportation costs have risen.