All about our Copano Blues shrimp
We’re thrilled to offer Copano Blues shrimp to our customers! Scott Kersting, Director of Meat & Seafood, shares the story behind this fantastic American-grown shrimp and explains what makes it so different from other traditional farmed shrimp.
We know responsibly sourced seafood is important to many of you, and it’s important to us, too. That’s why we continue to expand our wild-caught and farm-raised seafood through partnerships with organizations that ensure fisheries are utilizing sustainable practices that preserve and improve our oceans’ ecosystems. Our partner, Copano Blues Shrimp Farm, is growing ethically and environmentally sustainable shrimp right here in the United States. Their shrimp is rated a “Best Choice” by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch.
Our partnership with Copano Blues felt like a natural fit from the start since much like Lunds & Byerlys, the family owned and operated business is intensely passionate about providing customers with the best fully traceable and sustainable product possible.
I had the opportunity to head down to Taft, Texas, to check out this state-of-the-art farm located on Copano Bay on the Gulf of Mexico. My visit gave me an up close and personal look at one of the most sustainable, ground-breaking aquaculture facilities in the world.
Copano Blues shrimp are produced with a proprietary technology called Closed Loop Bio-Secure Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS). While this sounds complicated, RAS essentially means all aspects of the environment are carefully controlled and perfectly maintained so the shrimp can grow naturally.
Unlike traditional farmed shrimp, Copano Blues shrimp grow faster and larger without the use of antibiotics, chemicals or hormones, due to the farm’s advanced biosecurity. From hatchery to production ponds, all parts of the farm are covered by large air domes – much like a sports dome. These huge domes protect the shrimp from damaging airborne diseases and pests while also maintaining a warm, humid environment in which the shrimp thrive.
The sheer size of the shrimp ponds is impressive. They are filled with salt water from Copano Bay since the bay is a natural nursery for gulf shrimp. Once the water enters the farm it never leaves. Instead, millions of gallons of water are cleaned naturally and recycled back into the shrimp ponds. This allows Copano Blues to maintain superior water quality in its ponds while never discharging any pollutants into local bays. A win-win.
The technology at Copano Blues is very advanced and leads to better tasting, higher-quality shrimp. Copano Blues shrimp have a robust natural, sweet flavor and crisp, firm texture. The raw shrimp have an attractive blue hue that turns to a bright orange when cooked. I think you’ll find these shrimp are out-of-this-world delicious on their own – no cocktail sauce or spices needed. Or try them in your favorite shrimp recipe and see how versatile they truly are.
We’re excited for you to try these American-grown shrimp for yourself! Visit any of our meat and seafood departments to find Copano Blues Shrimp.
Copano Blues Shrimp Cocktail
6-8 servings
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 10 cups cold water
- 1 lemon, halved
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 bulb garlic, halved
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 pounds Copano Blues
shrimp
Directions
- Fill a large
pot with water; squeeze juice from lemon halves into pot and add lemon halves. - Add salt and
garlic and thyme to pot. - Bring to a
boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium; simmer for 5 minutes for
flavors to blend. - Add shrimp;
cook until just opaque in center, about one minute. - Immediately
drain and transfer shrimp to a large bowl of ice water; let cool. - Drain again.
Peel shrimp, leaving tails intact. Shrimp can be made up to one day ahead and
stored covered in the refrigerator.