Q. How Many People Will A Bushel
Of Maryland Steamed Blue Crabs Feed?
A. Generally speaking, a bushel of
number 1 or "Jimmy" crabs will hold 60 - 70 crabs
depending on how big the crabs are at that time of year. If
there are 60 - 70 crabs, they will feed about 10 - 12 people
depending upon what else is on the menu. If you have all kinds
of food, such as salads, hot dogs, chicken, etc., you'll probably
need half as many crabs. If you serve only steamed crabs,
clams, corn and beverages, you'll need the whole bushel.
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Q. Why Can't I Store Cooked Maryland Blue Crabs In The Same Basket They Came
In When I Purchased Them?
A. Live Maryland blue crabs, like most other animals, contain bacteria which
can be transmitted easily. Crabs that have been properly cooked
will be, for all practical purposes, bacteria free since the
bacteria will have been killed during the cooking process. Therefore,
the cooked crab is ready to eat directly from the shell; if
cooked crabs come in contact with uncooked crabs, cross-contamination
could occur.
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Q. Can I Freeze Steamed Maryland Blue Crabs?
A. The Seafood Marketing Program does not recommend freezing
steamed crabs because of the potential for bacterial growth.
The undigested food the crab has eaten and the wastes in the
interior of the crab take a long time to freeze in home freezers
and increase the risk of bacterial growth. We suggest the crab
be cleaned first: remove the shell, legs, intestines, claws
and fat. Only the meat-containing parts of "Body"
and claws of the crab should be frozen. This frozen crab meat
is best used for soups or casseroles.
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Q. How Should I Handle Crab Vegetable Soup After It Has Been
Cooked?
A. Fill your sink with cold water, place the pot of soup in
the sink and stir for 10 minutes to speed up cooling. Fill small
containers (pints or quarts) with soup, cover and refrigerate
immediately. Do not put the whole pot of soup in the refrigerator
with lid intact because this could cause spoilage.
Q. How Can I Tell When Crab meat Becomes Spoiled?
A. Spoiled crab meat is sticky, has an ammonia odor and is yellowish
in color. Crab meat should remain fresh for three to five days
after it is purchased. Store in the coldest part of your refrigerator.
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Q. Where Do Soft Shelled Crabs Come From?
A. A hard crab must molt or shed its shell in order to grow.
When it molts, it is in the soft state that is commonly recognized
as a "soft shell crab." The "shedding" of
a hard crab most often occurs in controlled "shedding tanks".
The soft crab must be removed from the tank within a very short
time before it begins to harden once again. In Maryland, crabs
molt from May through September.
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Q. Can I Send Steamed Maryland Blue Crabs or Crab meat To Relatives Who Live
Out Of State?
A. Several crab processors have the ability to ship live or
steamed crabs and pasteurized crab meat to almost any destination
in the United States. Some of these processors do have minimum
order stipulations. For more information, contact the Seafood
Marketing Program at (410) 841-5820.
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Q. How Long Can I Store Live Crabs And What Is The Best Storage
Method?
A. Live crabs will remain alive for approximately 6-8 hours
if:
1. The crabs purchased were refrigerated and are kept refrigerated
at home. Perishability will be high if the crabs are not refrigerated.
2. They were not refrigerated when purchased (i.e. if they were
purchased off a truck or you caught them yourself) and you can
either refrigerate them or keep them outdoors in a shaded, cool,
airy container such as a crab bushel basket. In either case,
some will die and some will live a lot longer than 8 hours.
Before steaming the crabs, you may "chill" them in
the refrigerator; the cold temperature renders them inactive
and easier to put in the steamer. This also helps to keep the
legs and claws on during cooking. If you have ever tried to
put room temperature crabs in a pot, you know how active they
can be.
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Q. Does Fresh Picked Crab meat Contain Salt?
A. According to the Maryland Department of Health and Mental
Hygiene, by law Maryland licensed crab processors must use only
water to steam the crabs for fresh or pasteurized crab meat.
The only time a salt solution is used is in the processing of
machine-picked crab meat. Processors must list additives (including
salt) on the can. In the case of steamed crabs sold by the bushel,
seasonings may have been added such as salt and seafood seasoning.
Maryland does not regulate additives for steamed crabs. Therefore,
if you are on a sodium restricted diet, steam your own crabs
or purchase fresh hand-picked meat to be safe.
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Q. Can I Freeze Fresh Crab meat?
A. We suggest the crab meat first be put in a semi-prepared
form such as crab cakes, casserole or soup before freezing. Freezing
fresh crab meat toughens the meat, and dries it out. Quality
is lost in the product when it is frozen in the can. Store prepared
dishes in the freezer for 3-6 months, but remember that the
longer it is stored, the more it will toughen and dry out; plan
to use it soon.
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Q. Can I Freeze Live Soft Crabs?
A. A soft crab is a hard shell crab that has just shed its shell
in order to grow. The "soft" crab state is only temporary
and is harvested before the shell hardens. It can be frozen
successfully by using the following procedure of "dressing"
the soft crab:
1. Cut off the face behind the eyes with a pair of scissors.
2. Cut off the opposite end (apron) the same way as the face.
3. Lift the top (paper like) shell on both sides and snip out
the lungs.
4. Wash the soft crab and individually wrap it in an air-tight
freezer wrap. Store in the freezer up to three months. If they're
not frozen, eat the soft crabs within two days. Once the soft
crab has been dressed, the entire crab may be eaten.
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Q. How Long Can I Keep Pasteurized Crab meat, Steamed Crabs
and Fresh Crab meat?
A. Pasteurized crab meat has been processed in a controlled
atmosphere that enables the consumer to store it safely in the
refrigerator (not freezer) for approximately six months. Once
it has been opened, it has the same shelf life as fresh crab
meat. Fresh crab meat will keep 3-5 days in the refrigerator.
The best way to store it is by surrounding the crab meat with
ice. Clear out the vegetable or meat keeper in the refrigerator
and store the crab meat in it with lots of ice. Steamed crabs
may be kept in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. Make sure to keep
them in an air-tight plastic bag. They should be refrigerated
as soon as possible after steaming. The longer they remain at
room temperature, the more bacterial growth will occur.
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Q. Can I Cook Dead Maryland Blue Crabs?
A. No! We suggest only cooking live blue crabs. Once the blue crab has
died, bacterial growth occurs. This rule is the same for lobsters
and other "live" shellfish.
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Q. May I Eat Blue Crabs On A Low Cholesterol Or Low Fat Diet?
A. Yes, although Maryland blue crabs have
more cholesterol than most other types of seafood, it contains
only 85 mg in a 3 ounce cooked serving--the equivalent of
lean ground beef. Therefore, moderate amounts of crabmeat
may be allowed within your diet. It is best to check with
your doctor or a registered dietitian.
