We regularly test the products of the companies that we are promoting on our site. We haven’t gotten around to every company yet, but this past week we had the very real pleasure of getting a shipment in from Lummi Island Wild. They are based in Bellingham, WA, right up on the border with Canada. Most of the wild salmon fisheries that we promote are fishing for wild caught salmon in Alaska, but Lummi is a different breed. Which is why we were so interested to try their wares. We thought we would turn this particular experience into a post about receiving fresh seafood, and how to prepare for its arrival.
The Alert Notifs
By now we are all used to the email and text alerts that packages have been shipped, are in transit, or have just arrived. Same notifications will happen here. I got a note from Lummi Island Wild that my package had arrived at FedEx on Monday afternoon in Washington. It was set to arrive in Denver the following day. BOOM. Overnight shipping on seafood.
On Tuesday, I got a notification that it had arrived overnight in Denver, was on a truck, and that I should expect it by 800pm that night.
Time out for a second. Here is a moment to consider. I work from home, but you may not. The package arrived at noon instead of 800pm. I got the alert AFTER the package arrived. I was downstairs within a minute of hearing the Fedex truck. Now, because I was here, it was no problem to hustle downstairs and grab the package that was sitting out in the sun.
But it might have been out there for 8 more hours if I wasn’t here or expecting to be.
Our advice? When shipping fresh seafood to your door, make sure someone is watching the door who can scurry this box inside. If you happen to have shipped live lobsters, you’ll really want to be on the spot. Chances are this isn’t a weekly occurence for you, so put forth the effort to protect your investment. A long list of players were involved in bringing this to your porch. Don’t fall asleep on your watch and break the chain.
What’s in the Box?
The box will be lined with some form of insulation, typically styrofoam but not always, and some style of coolant, typically dry ice or some packaged frozen equivalent. There will be a tight seal, and as you can see with Lummi Island Wild’s set up, this box is made to fit this exact size of styrofoam container. This is pretty standard in the seafood shipping community. They have custom-sized boxes to fit their custom-made styofoam coolers. It will all feel bespoke.
Seafood Received
Okay, you have the package, you’ve opened the package to confirm you have the goods, now what? In the case of the salmon and smoked salmon that we ordered, it will arrive frozen and obviously refrigerated. Just move it from box to freezer and you’re all set. Put some in the fridge if you want some in the next couple days. Sit smoked salmon on the counter if you want it in a few hours, which is what we did with Lummi Island Wild’s smoked salmon and snarfed it down as soon as it thawed.
When shipping lobsters and having Live Lobster in the box, you’ll still want to make sure they can stay cool a while. Leave them in the box if it is still cool, make sure it is in a cool place. Move to the refrigerator or your own cooler. Before you boil them, you will stick them in the freezer, so it’s a good moment to clear a little room so they can fit.
There you have it. Not much different than anything else, you just need to be around when it arrives and store it as soon as you have your hands on it.
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