If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Picking blue crab meat can be daunting at first, but all it takes is a little practice and patience to master this craft. How To Crack Stone Crab Claws. Fresh crabs freeze well if you keep them alive on the way home, but they deteriorate rapidly if you don't clean them within two hours. If you are going to use the claws, you'll want to break them off at the first joint. Crab claws, especially those from the blue stone crab, are meaty and tender, making them the delicious parts of a crab leg dinner. The meat in the claws and the legs is going to be pink-brown in color, and also have a stronger taste than the rest of the crab. The commercial stone crab industry in Florida harvests as much as 3.5 million pounds of crabs a year. Rinse the crab claws thoroughly under the cold running water Leave them dry for about 10-15 minutes before putting them in a large bowl Add cold water and 1/3 bowl of ice cubes or leave the bowl in the fridge at least one hour before cooking. Thanks for sharing!! Bring the water to a boil and place the crab claw into the pot. Last season red tide crushed the bounty, however, knocking the haul down to about 2 million pounds. Using your fingers, lift up its heart-shaped apron, or tail, and pull it back to snap it off of the body. Whether eating them chilled or heated, you can simply use a mallet or other tools to crack the shell on the claws. Once your blue crabs have been cleaned and cooked, you might want to save the claws for other recipes, like sautéed crab fingers or crab cocktails. Next, use your fingers to remove the gills on either side of the crab and scoop out anything inside of the crab that doesn't look appetizing, like the crab's … Step 1. If not, check out my video and step by step guide below! 4. . These steps explain a method suggested by experts which should enable you to eat a crab so you enjoy every last bit of it. Ensure you clean out the inside of the crab and remove the gills, lungs, and digestive organs. The stone crabs are found on both the Atlantic and Gulf coast of Florida, the harvesting of claws is tightly regulated by Florida Fish and Game service to help protect the tasty crabs for future generations. Lobster Claw. But don’t bite all the way through…there is a tricky shell in between the meat! No plates needed here! You'll want to cook the crabs before you clean them. …and I know in the video I am piling up my meat but in reality, I dip it in butter and eat it immediately! 3. Crack open the ligaments on the legs too, that meat is very flavorful! Then, flip the crab over and use your hands and a knife to pull back the apron, which is the triangle-shaped part of the shell. Using a crab fork, regular fork, or knife, remove the crab meat from inside of the claw. An important note when boiling/ steaming the crab claws is the appropriate timing. No one wants to go picking through their crab meat for tiny pieces of shell! How To Crack Stone Crab Claws. We'll leave these back fins attached because they'll be helpful later when we're removing the lump meat from the back of the crab. How to Crack a Blue Crab: Step 1: Pull off the legs. Step 3. Blue Channel Inn: 1258 Bay Dale Dr: Arnold, MD: 410-974-0777: Bellas Sports Bar & Restaurant. The perfect appetizer or snack. Cook the claws for 6 to 8 minutes. Cover the pot and steam the crab claws for about 10 minutes. Grant demonstrates the spoon method of cracking claws and it couldn’t be easier. Drain crabs in a colander. Crab mallets have long handles with small solid heads. Joe's stone crabs must be kept refrigerated in a bowl & uncracked. Next we're going to crack open the claw. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Tori || Victori Media After cooling a minute, pour crabs out onto a newspaper-covered table and dig in. Hold the claw in the palm of your hand, using a hand towel to protect your hand. And even better, they are super easy to prepare. For most of us, eating blue crabs is something that we've learned over the years from watching our dads and older brothers. Females are known as " Sook." Crab Houses of the Chesapeake Bay. In addition to cracking crabs and lobsters these crab crackers are great for nuts as well. However, you might not have yet tried Jonah crab.You will find that Jonah crab claws have an excellent taste. Every day at wikiHow, we work hard to give you access to instructions and information that will help you live a better life, whether it's keeping you safer, healthier, or improving your well-being. Then, use a pair of tongs to put the crab claws in the hot water. Preparation. Lastly, swivel the knife to the side. Crack the Claws . There is nothing quite like the deliciously rich meat that comes from these bad boys. The Spruce / Molly Watson. How To Crack Open Blue Crabs. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. 7 expensive beauty products you can make yourself. Remove the two large pincer claws by breaking them off at the body. The blue crab is known to scientists as Callinectes sapidus(kal i nek’ tes sap’ i dus). I only feature products I truly love and all opinions are my own. A flat meat tenderizer—one solid whack and the claw cracks open enough to pull apart—works as well. Step 4: I save the claws for last but you could do them sooner. As soon as you smell the crab meat, put off the heat and take the crab out. …and I know in the video I am piling up my meat but in reality, I dip it in butter and eat it immediately! The best tool for the job is a mallet. For these, all you need to do is to crack the shell and pull it open. This means that if you click and/or make a purchase through certain links on this site or any related social media platforms, I may make a commission from that click and/or purchase. Last Updated: September 3, 2019 Use a knife or ice pick to stab the crab through its shell 1 … Louisiana Blue Crab. Let it boil without removing the lid for 15 minutes. lol. The best tool for the job is a mallet. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. Kill the crab humanely before you remove the shell. You can boil water and add salt. The blue crab certainly lives up to its name with bril-liant blends of olive-green, blue and red, the ability to dart swiftly through the water and a body of delicate, white meat. If you love seafood and you are a fan of crab meat, you might have heard of several different types of crabs, such as Dungeness crabs and blue crabs. Consider wearing oven mitts to protect your hands because the … Use a crab cracker to break open the claws. https://www.southernliving.com/food/how-to/how-to-eat-blue-crab, https://www.eater.com/2015/6/5/8730223/how-to-eat-crabs-baltimore, https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/cooking-tips-techniques/how-to-eat-crab, https://www.mantripping.com/food-and-drink/how-to-eat-blue-crab.html, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iY20d_FYx-Q, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. By Jerald Horst at Louisiana SportsmanAs wonderful as blue crabs are to eat, there is no doubt that, for the average person, blue crab meat is tough to get out of the animal’s shell.A friend of mine with strong North Louisiana roots who was sitting behind a mound of the delectable animals said it best.“I sure do love them things, but I can’t hardly get the hide off of ’em,” he Pull meat out and repeat on other side. Using your fingers, lift up its heart-shaped apron, or tail, and pull it back to snap it off of the body. Pull the tab off, by pulling the hard shell away from the crab. The crabs I purchased happen to be male crabs, known as "Jimmys." To cook stone crab claws, start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. Next, add the crabs one by one, leaving the claws attached. Place the metal … Using the back of a metal spoon, strike the back or rounded side of the two ‘knuckles’ and the claw with a quick snapping motion, with approximately the … Local Find: Hip +Innovative Studio Boutique, Nordstrom Sale Items I Own and Would Suggest. Leave the point intact. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/9\/92\/Crack-a-Crab-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Crack-a-Crab-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/9\/92\/Crack-a-Crab-Step-1.jpg\/aid5242410-v4-728px-Crack-a-Crab-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":306,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"485","licensing":"