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When I was a girl, the only fish I could tolerate was halibut. I don't know when exactly, my extended foray into fishdom began, but suffice it to say, I enjoy a lot more than halibut these days. There is nothing like fresh trout, salmon, catfish, or sole on the bar-b-que or stove, or in the oven. But how do we know if our purchase is fresh? The following are some guide-lines to follow.

FISH

It's not difficult to determine whether seafood is fresh. You can see freshness through the glass on the supermarket case: fish fillets and steaks have a bright, translucent quality and look moist; pass up seafood that looks dull, dry or opaque. Dark-fleshed fish such as tuna should be bright, not brown. If buying whole fish, look for shiny bright skin, bright eyes and moist, red gills.

Fresh fish smells clean and of the ocean, never strong or fishy. Ask to smell it if you have any question. For both whole and cut-up fish, the flesh should feel firm to the touch, not soft.

You can also tell a lot about freshness by the way the fish is stored in the case. Fish deteriorates more quickly than other protein and must be kept iced, at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Fillets and steaks should be stored on flaked or shaved ice, not in it, while whole fish should be buried in the ice. Neither should be sitting in water or melted ice.

Some shellfish, such as lobsters, crabs, crayfish, mussels, clams, oysters, must be sold alive unless they are frozen. You should make sure they are before you buy them. Lobsters, crabs and crayfish should be lively. The shells of clams, oysters and mussels should be tightly closed. Shrimp should not have an ammonia odor or black spots.

Once you buy the fish, refrigerate it as quickly as possible. It's best eaten the day of purchase. Since optimum temperature for fish storage is 32 degrees F and the inside of your refrigerator is about 40 degrees F, fish will last longer if stored on ice. Set the fish, still wrapped, in a colander filled with ice, then put the colander over another dish. As the ice melts, the water drains out of the colander. Replenish the ice as needed. You can also surround the fish with ice packs. Do not set unwrapped fillets directly on ice.

Store live shellfish in the refrigerator, but do not wrap them in plastic because they need to breathe. Loosely wrap live shellfish in a damp dishtowel set in a bowl or pan.

Once you buy the fish, refrigerate it as quickly as possible. It's best eaten the day of purchase. Since optimum temperature for fish storage is 32 degrees F and the inside of your refrigerator is about 40 degrees F, fish will last longer if stored on ice. Set the fish, still wrapped, in a colander filled with ice, then put the colander over another dish. As the ice melts, the water drains out of the colander. Replenish the ice as needed. You can also surround the fish with ice packs. Do not set unwrapped fillets directly on ice.

Store live shellfish in the refrigerator, but do not wrap them in plastic because they need to breathe. Loosely wrap live shellfish in a damp dishtowel set in a bowl or pan.

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