Nantucket scallops

[hathor]

What makes a scallop sweet? What's the science?

These babies are in season right now, and they are crazy sweet...almost too sweet. We were popping them like candy last night, and it just made me wonder how fish protein could be perceived as sweet.

[jayt90]

McGee has the answer, p.229. Glycogen and glycine convert to sucrose and glucose as the muscle dies. He goes on to say that dull white, pink and orange hues yield more flavour, as they have not been dipped in a phosphate solution.

[hathor]

So, a live scallop, just opened would be less sweet, therefore you need to find scallops that are fresh, but not that fresh..... interesting.

I did a little poking around on glycogen and it seems to need a carbohydrate involved to trigger the synthesis. Does a scallop have natural carb content? Intuitively I'll say no, but after a bit more coffee, I'll dig around some more.

Thanks Jayt90.

[jayt90]

So, a live scallop, just opened would be less sweet, therefore you need to find scallops that are fresh, but not that fresh..... interesting.

I did a little poking around on glycogen and it seems to need a carbohydrate involved to trigger the synthesis. Does a scallop have natural carb content? Intuitively I'll say no, but after a bit more coffee, I'll dig around some more.

Than etks Jayt90.

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If I understand McGee, there are enzymes present which convert glycogen and glycine.

I don't have good access to fresh scallops, as they are at least two days old if they get to Ontario. But I can get nice, sweet, large frozen scallops, packed in Boston, at Costco.

They are dull white, and some are pink/orange, so they have avoided the phosphate dip. I think this called dry pack.

[budrichard]

The real answer is fresh, period and dry pack without any chemicals. I get farm raised Taylor Bay scallops in the shell and we don't wait to eat them after we shuck them, in fact we mostly eat them raw right after shucking. When I can a get large diver scallps in the shell, there is no difference between the shucked diver's I get from Browne Trading that are at worst two days old.-Dick

[hathor]

The real answer is fresh, period and dry pack without any chemicals. I get farm raised Taylor Bay scallops in the shell and we don't wait to eat them after we shuck them, in fact we mostly eat them raw right after shucking. When I can a get large diver scallps in the shell, there is no difference between the shucked diver's I get from Browne Trading that are at  worst two days old.-Dick

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Sounds to me like you have an excellent scallop connection.

It also sounds to me like I should question Harold McGee because your answers and my little bit of research don't add up.

[budrichard]

I have put McGee's book on reserve at my library and will read the applicable passages.

I am very serious about my scallops and until about 10 years ago could get scallops in the shell in Chicago. I finally found out why the bulk scallops we had bought were nothing like the scallops of old. When in the shell scallops vanished in Chicago, Browne Trading was able to supply dry pack 'Day Boat' scallops of exquisite quality that we eat as sashimi also. Maine State Law requires scallops to sodl shelled. Taylor Bay are farmed bay scallops in the shell available in sacks of 100 and after shucking and cooking them, I decided to try them like oysters on the half shell, very good!

So my experience comes from purchasing and eating scallops from many sources.-Dick

[docsconz]

I have put McGee's book on reserve at my library and will read the applicable passages.

I am very serious about my scallops and until about 10 years ago could get scallops in the shell in Chicago. I finally found out why the bulk scallops we had bought were nothing like the scallops of old. When in the shell scallops vanished in Chicago, Browne Trading was able to supply dry pack 'Day Boat' scallops of exquisite quality that we eat as sashimi also. Maine State Law requires scallops to sodl shelled. Taylor Bay are farmed bay scallops in the shell available in sacks of 100 and after shucking and cooking them, I decided to try them like oysters on the half shell, very good!

So my experience comes from purchasing and eating scallops from many sources.-Dick

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Where do you source the Taylor Bay scallops?

[budrichard]

Taylor Bay come from Browne Trading in 100 count bags.

One can easily eat two dozen on the half shell at one sitting with a small butter knife to very easily open.

In terms of McGee, my library only had the original 1984 copy. will have to find the revised ed.-Dick

[jayt90]

My copy of McGee was revised in 2004. He suggests that large scallops are harvested by

boats that may be at sea for weeks, so freezing, dry or wet, is done, if the boat is out more than a day. He does not say how soon after shelling the sweetening conversion begins.

Bay scallops can be harvested by divers and sold fresh, as Bud has noted.

I would like to know of other sources than McGee for opinions on freshness, packing, and the sugar conversion process, but so far, he is the authority.

[budrichard]

My copy of McGee was revised in 2004. He suggests that large scallops are harvested by

boats that may be at sea for weeks, so freezing, dry or wet, is done, if the boat is out more than a day. He does not say how soon after shelling the sweetening conversion begins.

Bay scallops can be harvested by divers and sold fresh, as Bud has noted.

I would like to know of other sources than  McGee for opinions on freshness, packing, and the sugar conversion process, but so far, he is the authority.

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I have not made myself clear.

The Diver Scallops harvested for and sold by Browne Trading are what are also referred to as 'Day Boat'. Maine law only allows shelled scallops to be sold if fished in Maine waters. These fisherman go out and come back the same day and the scallops are shipped the next day overnight by Browne Trading. We purchase a gallon at a time and eat them for a few days both raw and cooked. After that we freeze.

Now other scallops you find in the market may in fact be frozen or whatever, who knows but today most retailers are labeling 'Wet' or 'Dry' Pack at least. We have had some very nice Sea of Cortez scallops Dry Pack that have not been frozen so one can find a good scallop, it just takes knowing your purveyor.

Taylor Bay scallops are Farm Raised and sold in the shell like Farm Raised mussles and are not harvested by divers. Nantucket Bay Scallops, dry pack have just been on the market and have been excellent but were $40/#!

I have asked my library to locate the newer version of McGee to read what he says but regardless, scallops DO NOT need to age and are BEST as soon as you can eat them.-Dick

[budrichard]

I finally located a revised copy of McGee's book.

Its a lesson in not believing everything that's in print or drawing assumptions from what you read.

I quote " on trips that may last weeks". Certainly for comercial fisherman that provide IQF products but not for even wet pack product. The word 'may' is key and does not mean all scallops sold are weeks from harvest and in fact Rod Browne I believe actually started the 'Day Boat' fishing in Maine in an attempt to provide the best quality scallops. Order from Browne Trading and the scallops are delivered 2-3 days after being fished.

Because McGee discusses the conversion of amono acid glycine and glycogen a portion of which he says is converted in glucose, how one can make the assumption that one must look for scallops "that are fresh, but not that fresh" is beyond me.

Anyway, the scallop market has changed a lot in the last 15 years from a situation where only wet pack was availabe to most consumers to present day where in what I assume is a backlash to the wet pack, IQF (I don't know if they are any good because I have never tried them), dry pack from many sources among them Maine 'DayBoat', Dry pack Nantucket and some very good Sea of Cortez dry pack that we have been getting anually are available.

These scallops don't spend weeks at sea after being fished and don't need to age to be sweet.-Dick

[hathor]

Because McGee discusses the conversion of amono acid glycine and glycogen a portion of which he says is converted in glucose, how one can make the assumption that one must look for scallops "that are fresh, but not that fresh" is beyond me.

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Thanks Dick.

Does McGee give any sort of time frame for the conversion to glucose?