Shrimp size isn't measured in the sense of taking a measuring tape and straightening the shrimp. Instead you use the weight of the shrimp and how many make up a pound to indicate size. Packages of shrimp list the size using both a number range, or count per pound, and a more familiar size term like medium or jumbo, also called a market name or trade name. Look for the count on the package, though, as the names aren't necessarily standardized.
Step 1
Place the bowl on the scale, if the scale has only a platform, and calibrate the scale so that the dial reads zero when the bowl is empty.
Step 2
Add shrimp to the bowl until the scale reads 1 lb. Use shrimp that are essentially the same size; set aside any that are larger or smaller and weigh those separately.
Step 3
Count the number of shrimp in that pound. Note that if you repeat this with more shrimp that are similar in size to the first batch, it's possible for the second batch to have fewer or a few more shrimp because the shrimp aren't exactly the same. This is why the count covers a range, rather than a particular number of shrimp.
Step 4
Convert the number from Step 3 into a size class. Each range centers on the average number of shrimp in that class, with an equal amount of shrimp on either side of the average number. Very large shrimp don't have a range but use an "under" number such as under 10, or U10. Shrimp size classes in the United States range from U10 for approximately extra colossal, U12 for super colossal and U15 for colossal, to 21/25 for jumbo, to 61/70 for extra small.
Tips and Warnings
- Shrimp counts in the United States are standardized, though the format might look a little different, with one package listing 21/25 and another 21-25, or U10 versus U/10. What's Cooking America notes the counts run as follows: extra colossal, U10; super colossal, U12; colossal, U15; extra jumbo, 16/20; jumbo, 21/25; extra large, 26/30; large, 31/35; medium large, 36/40; medium, 41/50; small, 51/60; and extra small, 61/70.
Things You'll Need
- Large bowl
- Scale
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