The Dark Line on Shrimp: What It Is and When to Remove It
You have seen it a hundred times. You are peeling shrimp for dinner and there it is: that thin, dark line running along the back. Maybe you dutifully…
When You Should Devein, and When Not To
The single most useful rule of thumb is this: the bigger the shrimp, the more it is worth deveining.
- Small shrimp (salad or bay shrimp): skip it. The line is virtually invisible, and trying to remove it only damages the delicate meat.
- Medium shrimp (41 to 60 count): optional. It comes down to personal preference and is usually not noticeable.
- Large shrimp (21 to 40 count): worth doing. They can hold grit that affects texture.
- Jumbo shrimp (U-15 or larger): definitely devein. The tract will contain noticeable grit and an unpleasant texture.
Cooking for company? Devein for a cleaner presentation. Just cooking for yourself? Do whatever you feel like. Most frozen shrimp already come deveined, so check the package before you start; the work may already be done for you.