With more than 300 species of shrimp found world-wide and in a variety of flavors. From boil and peel shrimp to shrimp cocktail, to shrimp kabobs, shrimp stir fry, or deep fried shrimp, there are perhaps as many ways to eat it as there are types of shrimp; all, however, have one thing in common — you simply do not eat the heads. Fresh or frozen, it is a simple process to de-head your shrimp, although it is a little easier when the shrimp is fresh.
Grasp the shrimp firmly, but without squeezing. Place your fingers with the thumb on the upper side of the shrimp, holding it with the tail towards the palm of your hand, and your remaining fingers underneath the body. Your fingertips and thumb should rest about 2/3 of the way up the shrimps body, near the head, for best control.
Reach over with your free hand and grasp the shrimp head firmly, but without squeezing. Use a twisting motion to break the head free from the body; you may find that slightly pinching or pulling downwards at the same time helps the head come off.
Pull the head away gently until free. Rinse away any black matter present under the head; the long, black line that runs the length of the shrimps body, attaching to the head, is the shrimps digestive tract. With very fresh shrimp this often will come out of the shrimp with the head, if done properly.
Snap Upward Quickly. In one quick movement, bring your forefingers up and your thumbs apart in a snapping motion. Remove the head and pull out the black digestive tract, if visible. Repeat with the remaining shrimp.
The Rest of the Mess
Grab the shrimp legs, all at once, between your fingers and pull firmly away from the shrimps body to remove the legs. Pull any remaining legs individually as necessary.
Remove the shell, if desired, by peeling it slowly, like an egg. Begin at the top of the shrimp and work your way down the length of its body. Leave the shell on, if desired; shells help retain moisture and flavor in shrimp, and come off readily after cooking.
Pull the tail, pinching as you tug, to remove. Cut the tail, alternatively, just above the tail where it joins with the shrimps body. Removing shrimp tails is merely a matter of preference and may also be left on for display purposes.
Cut down the length of the shrimps back, either through the shell or with the shell removed, to eliminate the digestive tract. Use either a sharp knife or de-veiner to perform. Pull back the edges of the incision to help remove the matter, digging it out as needed. Pulling on one end of the digestive tract may also work, depending on how sturdy the tract is.
Rinse, again, with fresh cold water. Swish the shrimp around underneath the water, then toss in a bowl to collect while you clean the remaining shrimp. Cook or freeze as desired.
Clean all work surfaces thoroughly with hot, soapy water to prevent cross-contamination and food borne illness. These same methods work with frozen shrimp, once thawed, but the digestive tract removal is more difficult the older the shrimp is.
Discard shrimp that smell like anything but ocean water; an ammonia smell or any unpleasant odor is a symptom of shrimp spoilage. Likewise with color — shrimp should have a clear, fresh color absent of black spots or murky coloring. Promptly wash hands and proceed only with gloves if red splotches or hives develop on your hands; some people are allergic to shrimp and should not handle them with exposed skin.
Karie Fay earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology with a minor in law from the University of Arkansas at Monticello. After growing up in construction and with more than 30 years in the field, she believes a girl can swing a hammer with the best of them. She enjoys “green” or innovative solutions and unusual construction.
Dealing with head-on shrimp can be a bit intimidating to some because you’re seeing everything such as eyes, antennae, legs, and all! However, there is a bonus to purchasing head-on shrimp, which is the ability to use them in multiple ways. Once you peel the shrimp you can eat the meat in a myriad of delicious ways. You can also save the shells and heads to make a flavorful seafood stock that is perfect for sauces, soups, and stews. Let’s say you peeled some shrimp for dinner but you didn’t have the time to make a stock. You can always store them in the freezer and make the stock at a more convenient time in the future.
Now let’s move on to the culinary technique of peeling and deveining shrimp. The first thing you want to do is to fill a bowl with ice and place the shrimp on top to keep them cold and fresh. Now pick up one shrimp and examine it. The anatomy of the shrimp has a large head with eyes, long wispy antennae, and a curved body with small claws, legs, and a tail. You may notice or accidentally feel a sharp point at the top of the head which is called the rostrum. There’s another sharp point on the tail called a telson. Be careful when handling them to prevent yourself from getting poked!
To take off the peel, hold the shrimp in one hand. With the opposite hand, start at the top where the head was removed and slide your thumb between the place where the shell and the legs meet to crack the shell, then pull up and over with your index finger. This should take off the first few segments of the shells and legs. Repeat this process until you get to the tail.
Using the tip of your knife, remove the vein and discard it. I find a paper towel helps to catch the vein easier from the knife when I remove it from the shrimp. You may have to use your fingers to get out the remaining vein if you can’t get it out with your knife.
Using a small pairing knife, cut the shrimp open slightly by running the knife down the back of the shrimp from the top to the tail. This will expose the “vein” which is actually the digestive tract of the shrimp. You want to remove this so that you don’t experience a surprise crunch of sand while enjoying your meal. This isn’t a requirement but it’s something to think about. A small note…be careful not to cut too deep because if you do, you will have a butterflied shrimp! Absolutely delicious and beautiful but it may not be what you were initially going for 😉
How to remove heads from shrimp
FAQ
Why do you leave the head on shrimp?
Do you peel head on shrimp?
Do head on shrimp need to be deveined?
How do you remove a shrimp head?
Pull off the head. Sometimes shrimp comes with the head still attached. That’s the first thing you should pull off. You can also chop it off if you’d rather. Pull off the legs. Grasp them between your fingers and pull them off in clumps. They should easily detach from the body. Pull off the shell.
How can one get rid of headaches?
The treatment of headaches can be decided based on the symptoms and types of headaches. Over-the-counter painkillers like Aspirin, Ibuprofen, and Paracetamol can be used. Cognitive behavioural therapy, massage and acupuncture are the other modalities. In case of migraine headache, the treatment involves adequate rest in a quiet, dark room, hot or cold compress to the head and neck region, and antimigraine drugs.
Can you remove head-on shrimp?
Removing the heads might seem daunting at first, but the process, known as “heading,” is quite easy, although a bit messy. Head-on shrimp retain their natural moisture better, resulting in superior flavor and texture, making the task well worth it in the end. Be sure to buy only very fresh shrimp.
How do you handle head-on shrimp?
You need to use caution when handling head-on shrimp. In addition to the sharp point at the tail (the telson), there is an even longer point at the head (the rostrum). They’re easy enough to avoid if you’re moderately careful. Pick up the shrimp one at a time—don’t try to grab a handful all at once or your chances of getting poked increase.