How Can You Tell Fresh Squid and Octopus When Buying Them?

The first thing to check when buying squid or octopus is colour and sheen; fresh squid skin should be a pale pinkish-white, with bright, plump eyes. Squid with bruised, dull or yellowed skin has already lost its freshness. Octopus skin should show a vivid dark red-purple tone and, aside from a light natural sliminess, shouldn't feel sticky to the touch.

Smell is decisive for both: fresh seafood carries a mild, salty sea smell; a sharp ammonia or sour odour means the product shouldn't be eaten, since the food poisoning risk from something in that state shouldn't be dismissed.

How do you choose fresh squid?

The squid's body (mantle) should feel springy when pressed lightly and not hold a fingerprint; a texture that's tough or falls apart when too soft signals lost freshness. The tentacles should be firmly attached to the body too; tentacles that come away easily can mean the product has been sitting a while.

Small and medium squid are usually more tender than large ones; very large squid may need either a quick high-heat fry or a long, slow braise, and can turn rubbery if cooked briefly at moderate heat. The thin internal quill still being in place at the time of purchase is another sign of freshness.

How do you choose fresh octopus?

An octopus's arms should show a slight resistance when pulled, without tearing off; the suckers running along them should sit in an even row and feel firm — another freshness sign. The eyes shouldn't look sunken or cloudy; they should look bright and alive.

Octopus is usually sold by size; smaller ones (500 grams to 1 kilogram) tenderise faster, while larger ones can need longer cooking or pre-treatment such as tenderising or freezing. It's worth asking the seller whether the octopus has already been pre-treated.

Should you choose fresh or frozen?

Frozen can actually be the practical choice for octopus; freezing partly breaks down the cell structure, letting the octopus tenderise faster once cooked, which is why many restaurants freeze and thaw octopus on purpose. For squid, fresh usually has the edge in texture, though a well-frozen squid is a reasonable alternative too.

If buying frozen, the package should be sealed tight, without excessive ice crystals, and shouldn't smell sharply fishy. Thawing should happen slowly in the fridge, never left out at room temperature.

What should you check when buying pre-cleaned seafood?

When buying pre-cleaned squid or octopus from a fishmonger, it's worth checking that the innards and the hard quill-like piece (squid's internal cartilage) have been fully removed. Lingering ink stains or a pool of excess water on cleaned seafood can be a sign it's been sitting around for a while.

For packaged, pre-weighed cleaned seafood, whether the labelled weight matches the actual weight can be confirmed by having it weighed in front of you at the counter where possible. That simple check builds confidence in both freshness and a fair price. Seeing the cleaned product displayed in a chilled case rather than sitting directly on ice is another sign it's been stored correctly.