What to Do After Catching Blue Crabs

After catching blue crabs, there are some things you need to do. These steps will help you keep them alive and healthy, so they will be ready for eating.

Storing Live Crabs – The best way to store crabs is in a live box that you place in the water with them. There are many options for these boxes, including plastic boxes with large holes drilled in the sides that will allow the crabs to swim freely.

They can also be placed in a cooler with ice packs in them. You will need to check on these regularly to make sure the ice packs aren’t melting because that can cause the crabs to die.

Ice Packs – The safest and most practical option is to use ice packs that are made for keeping meat cold. This type of container will allow you to pack the crabs safely and ensure that they will be able to survive for a long time.

Before packing, you should inspect each crab for any signs of spoilage, such as brown stains on their shells and discoloration of their meat. It’s best to remove any crabs that appear to be spoiled as soon as possible because they may develop bacteria and other diseases.

If you do choose to store your crabs in ice, be sure that the ice is not too thin because it will make the crabs suffocate. It is best to use a container that has a drain plug, so you can drain the water out of it periodically and make sure the ice doesn’t melt before your crabs are able to get out.

Stunting a Crab

Before cooking, you should stun the crabs that you plan to cook, by plunging them into ice water and flipping them on their back. You can then either quickly kill them using a knife or an ice pick, or you can clean them before cooking.

A good rule of thumb is to cleave the crab in half, starting from between its eyes and going down its back side until you reach its stomach. Then, scoop out the guts and gills, and flush them thoroughly with running water.

Steaming a Crab

When steaming crabs, be sure to place them in an insulated pot with enough water to cover the crabs completely and steam them over high heat. This will help them retain their flavor and prevent them from getting too dry.

If you do not want to cook the crabs yourself, there are some great recipes that can be found on the internet. Some of these recipes will help you enjoy a delicious blue crab salad, crab cakes, or even crab stew.

The important thing is to make sure you fully cook your crabs before serving them to avoid diseases and parasites that can affect the lungs, food poisoning, and other illnesses.

You can also freeze the crabs, but it is a much better idea to boil them first so that the meat will be fresh when you are ready to eat them.