Bay Scallops
Sourcing Summary
Size
The worst time to buy scallops is after they have spawned because the adductor muscle is soft and discolored and sheds moisture easily. The best time to buy scallops is in the late summer when prices are low and the quality has improved following the spring spawn. Scallop meats are sold by count per pound, with a premium being paid for larger size meats (lower count per pound). The trick to sea scallops is to not pay $10/lb. for water. Dry scallops will feel sticky whereas a soaked scallop will feel soapy or slick. Although very small quantities of U.S. scallops are harvested inshore by divers, the term “diver” scallops refers to a dry scallop that has not been treated by sodium tripolyphosphate. The phosphates allow the scallop to hold more water, sometimes 20% more. Most scallops are treated using phosphates and even dry scallops are often washed in tripolyphosphate.
Product Forms
Fresh Seasonal Availability
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| no | no | no | no | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no | no | no |
Culinary Composition
Flavor
Texture
Advisory Concern
Health/Nutrition
Nutrition facts
| Amount per serving | |
|---|---|
| Calories | 88 |
| Total Fat | 1g |
| Cholesterol | 33mg |
| Sodium | 161mg |
| Carbohydrates | 0g |
| Protein | 17g |
| Omega-3 | 0.2g |
Science & Management
Conservation Criteria - Wild
Conservation Criteria - Farmed
The U.S. and Canada have strict rules for aquaculture, but China has been struggling with water quality and pollution problems in its coastal environment, according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Shellfish farmers there have little control over industrial and agricultural pollution, so it’s unusual for there to be management processes in place to deal with the problem. There is little information available about best management practices for sea scallop farming operations in Asia, according to the aquarium.
Bay scallops are farmed primarily using lantern-shaped nets suspended from long lines underwater either on the seafloor or in a water column. Most bay scallops come from Chinese farmers, although there are some farmers in New England. Bay scallops filter the water so farmers don’t use treatment on them and farming of this species doesn’t create waste.
The majority of farmed scallops are raised “off-bottom,” a method where they are harvested by hand, according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Some scallops are raised “on-bottom” in culture plots, meaning they are removed using a heavy net dredge that can harm ecosystems and negatively impact marine life, causing diversity to decline, according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Since scallops are filterfeeders that actually remove plankton from the water, no additional feed is used in bay scallop farming operations.
Although there is little information available about the environmental impacts of Chinese bay scallop operations, the scallop seems unable to survive on their own in China’s cold water and no wild populations have been reported there to date. Operations in Japan and the U.S. don’t represent a risk to other marine life.
| Origin | Method | Ratings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unassessed Origin | Unassessed Fishing Methods | ||
| USA - Massachusetts | Dredge Harvest | ||
| USA - New York | Dredge Harvest |
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| Worldwide | On-Bottom Culture | ||
| Worldwide | Off-Bottom Culture |
| Name | Country | State / Province |
|---|---|---|
| AIS Aqua Foods, Inc. | United States | New Mexico |
| American Scallop Company | United States | Virginia |
| Aqua Star | United States | Washington |
| City Fish | Canada | Alberta |
| Codfathers Seafood Market | Canada | British Columbia |
| Conchyliculture Gloucester Shellfish Co. Inc. | Canada | New Brunswick |
| Frobisher International Enterprise Ltd. | Canada | British Columbia |
| Intercity Packers Meat & Seafood | Canada | British Columbia |
| John Nagle Co. | United States | Massachusetts |
| Kingsun Foods Co., Ltd | China | Liaoning Sheng |
| L&L International Inc. | United States | California |
| Lotus Seafood Inc. | United States | California |
| Lusamerica Foods, Inc. | United States | California |
| Mariner Neptune | Canada | Manitoba |
| Northern Wind, Inc. | United States | Massachusetts |
| OM Seafood Company | United States | Oregon |
| Pacific Harvest Seafoods | United States | California |
| Profish Ltd. | United States | District of Columbia |
| Red's Best | United States | Massachusetts |
| Royal Hawaiian Seafood | United States | California |
| Sammy's Seafood Inc | United States | Florida |
| Santa Monica Seafood, Inc. | United States | California |
| Sea to Table, USA | United States | New York |
| Seacore Seafood Inc. | Canada | Ontario |
| SHS, LLC. | United States | Colorado |
| The Fish Guys Inc. | United States | Minnesota |
| The Hadley Company | United States | Massachusetts |
| Thimble Island Ocean Farm | United States | Connecticut |
| Vital Choice Wild Seafood & Organics | United States | Washington |
| ZF America | United States | Washington |