Crab Chat-Questions and Answers

Putting Crab On Ice 
Crab-O-Licious.com would like to expound on an important issue about putting crab on ice before getting them on to boil. We understand some crabbers, including ...

Freeze/Reheat 
I would like to freeze my crab. I have read the instructions. Two questions:

1. How do I handle the crab upon defrosting when ready to use (I am ...

SAFE CRABS TO EAT 
I CAUGHT TWENTY BLUE CRABS MONDAY NIGHT AND PLACED THEM ON ICE. I PLAN TO COOK THEM TONIGHT (THURSDAY) ARE THEY SAFE TO EAT?

NO.....Dead crab are ...

Red Tide Warnings For Crab 
Red tide warnings for crab and other shellfish are common in any season's of shell fishing including crab fishing. High levels of paralytic shellfish ...

Empty Crab Legs 
Every once in a while I encounter an 'empty' crab leg while eating at a local buffet. Just curious, but I just dont understand where the meat goes! This ...

Crab stored 
I bought 4 whole crab in Oregon on and brought them back to Idaho (on Ice) how long can they be stored on ice? And they have not been cleaned, is that ...

Non-Crackable Snow Crab Legs 
Why are some crab legs so soft that you cannot crack them? They just bend back and forth.

Why some crab legs, snow, as well as, blue or dungeness ...

Crab Question 
I caught some dungeness crabs and cooked them. If I refrigerate them, how long will they last and still be edible? Thanks!

Hi, Ricky! If you keep the ...

Crabs Still Live While Frozen? 
Are the crabs still alive even when frozen? How long can they survive frozen?

No! Crabs can not live on ice! They're dead! Go ahead and store them ...

Uncooked Blue Crabs 
I caught some blue crab last night but did not cook them until this afternoon. They have been in a refrigerator. Can I cook them safely?

Congradulations ...

Leftover Crab Legs 
Is it safe to eat cooked crab legs that were left out over night?

If you are relating to them as "left out overnight" as outside of being refrigerated,...

Why Snow Crab Sticks to Shell 
Why does frozen snow crab leg meat sometimes stick to the shell? We own a restaurant where we do "All You Can Eat" Crab Legs once a week. We use a pickling ...

Crab Meat Sticking to Shell 
Why does crab meat sometimes stick to the shell?
I have had this happen in the past and I am wondering why? I would like to get it out of the shell in ...

Crabs and Food Poisoning 
I have caught some dungeness crab and a friend cleaned them and then froze them in my freezer without cooking them. I have 2 other friends that say it ...

Can You Clean and Freeze Crab Before Cooking? 
"I was wondering if it is ok to clean the crab and freeze it before cooking it?"

Yes! This is especially good news for those who are catching crab,...

Don't Throw That Crab Away!! 
Hello!

Why do companies only sell Alaskan King Crab "Legs" instead of selling the entire crab? Is there meat in the main body of the crab? What happens ...

Can you freeze uncooked Dungeness Crabs? 
If the Dungeness Crabs are alive, some people will freeze them for about 20 minutes-MAX, only to kill them off before cooking them.
It is not recommended ...

Crab Legs vs. Bodies 
Why do we eat only the legs of crabs and not the body?

There is nothing to eat in the body of a crab. No meat.

White Stuff in Crab  Not rated yet
What's the white stuff coming out of the crab? Help!

I am going to assume that you mean the white stuff that is usually found in around the shell ...

Boiled Blue Crab  Not rated yet
How long will boiled blue crab (whole) keep in the refrigerator?

Granted they were properly/carefully boiled and frozen, your blue crabs should keep ...

Using my frozen crab  Not rated yet
My husband froze some crab legs, now I want to make crab cakes. Do they shell easy frozen, or do I need to thaw them first?

Frozen crab legs are tough ...

Freezing Crab Before Cleaning  Not rated yet
Can I freeze boiled crabs without cleaning them first? Can I freeze the entire boiled crab? Thanks.

Yes, you can freeze your crab before cleaning them....

Crab on Ice? Dead!  Not rated yet
We went out crabbing yesterday and didnt get back home until 10:00 pm so we put the live crabs in a cooler with ice. Today they all seem to be dead is ...

crab "storage"  Not rated yet
I caught 15 dungeness crab, took them home and immediately cook, cleaned, and put on ice. I have them in an ice chest with ice on top and below with newpapers ...

How long can you keep fried soft shell crab in the refrigerator?  Not rated yet
How long can you keep fried soft shell crab in the refrigerator? I fried them two days ago and put the left overs in the refrigerator. Can we still eat ...

Eating crabs after power went out for several hours?  Not rated yet
Hi,
I bought crabs at a fish market yesterday yesterday at around 2PM (they were cooked while I waited). They cooled and were eaten over several hours ...

Life expectancy of a crab out of water.....  Not rated yet
My wife came home with some Jersey crabs that a friend had caught this morning. They are presently in a bucket without water. How long will they live this ...

Poisonous crabs  Not rated yet
I heard that crabs are poisonous in any months that don't have an "r" in them, in Humbolt County, California...is that really true?

I have been looking ...

Newbe Crabee  Not rated yet
I caught crabs brought them home washed them off put them in a baggie and frozen them in the freezer, is this ok? can i now boil and eat?

grandpa/...

How long do they stay good?  Not rated yet
How long after you boil crabs are they good for?

Properly packaged (we use a vaccuum sealer), we have enjoyed crab from the freezer for up to year ...

Can you freeze live crabs?  Not rated yet
Can you freeze live crabs in a zip lock bag?

NO! Let me expound. freezing live crab will cause them to die and DEAD crab are BAD crab. When they die,...

Can you freeze crab after catching them or do you have to boil them and then freeze them?  Not rated yet
Can you freeze dungeness crab after catching them or should you boil them first then freeze?

IF you clean them "live" you can freeze them w/o cooking ...

Ammonia smelling crabs  Not rated yet
If crabs smell like ammonia and the meat is not as white, but a darker color and slimy, does that mean they are going bad, or were just undercooked?

If ...

Can i just clean crab and refridge?  Not rated yet
I just caught some crab can i just clean them and put in the refridge or do i have to cook now?

They absolutely CAN be cleaned "live" and refrigerated!...

How long will crab legs keep in the refrigerator?  Not rated yet
How long will crab legs that are thawed keep in the refrigerator?

I don't recommend keeping them in the refrigerator for more than 2 days! Always freeze ...

Crabs  Not rated yet
I cooked some crabs. Could not eat all of them and them the rest in the refrigerator. How long will they last and how do I know if they are still okay ...

What do you think is the best way to freeze crab?  Not rated yet
We have been catching crab for many years. But we have yet to find the best way to freeze our crab for later enjoyment. What do you think is the best ...

How long can i keep fresh crab cakes in the refrigerator?  Not rated yet
How long can i keep fresh crab cakes in the refrigerator?

Personally, I wouldn't push it past 2 days. If you know it will be longer....freeze them!...

Safe eating leftover steamed Blue Crab?  Not rated yet
I ate some steamed ,spiced crabs last night and the remaining ones were left in an insulated box overnight without additional heat or ice. They were still ...

CRABS  Not rated yet
I just went crabbing yesterday and i did not cook the crabs until today, i put the crabs in my refrigerator are they safe to cook and eat?

No. Crabs ...

How long do crabs stay?  Not rated yet
I plan on serving crabs on Sunday, if I get them on Thursday, will they still be good?

If you boil them up Thursday and freeze them. Then on Sunday ...

Live Blue Crab Question  Not rated yet
A friend gave me some live blue crabs last night. I stored them in my fridge in a bag with holes in it. I understand they will lie dormant til they come ...

Blue Steam Crabs  Not rated yet
After you steam the blue crabs and you have left overs. Can you put them in the refigerator still in their shell and eat them the next day?

YES! Hate ...

Steaming frozen crab  Not rated yet
I don't have a crab steamer, is there another way to steam our crab?

Oh yes! There are other ways to steam crab if you don't have a steamer! One way ...

Whole crabs  Not rated yet
Can you freeze crabs whole?

ABSOLUTELY! As long as they are cooked first! We have and do freeze crab this way all the time. This way we can bust our ...

discolored (brown) snow crab shell  Not rated yet
Snow crab is usually bright orange. I have seen brown speckles or mostly brown shells and even sometime black spots (by the knuckle).

Why is it the ...

What Is the Best Way to Keep Live Crab Alive Until Cooking The Crab and How Long...  Not rated yet
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO KEEP LIVE CRABS LIVE UNTIL COOKING THEM AND HOW LONG CAN YOU KEEP THEM LIVE?

Keep them in their natural water and keep it well ...

How long can you keep live crab on ice?  Not rated yet
How long can you keep live crab on ice?

Trying to keep LIVE crab on ice is not an option. They will die on ice and you will have lost your opportunity ...

Is late may to early for crabs at the Jersey shore?   Not rated yet
id like to go crabbing and was wondering if late may 22nd and on to early to catch a good amount of crabs someone please email me and let me know pokerbandit118@...

Left over Crab Legs   Not rated yet
I cooked crab legs last night. I didn't store them. I left them in the pot with the boil, So Can I eat them or toss them?

I would suggest not eating ...

crab woes  Not rated yet
Is it safe to eat crab legs right now? I bought some from Walmart and they smelled like ammonia and tasted like something oily and funky.

We suspect ...

Boiling Blue Crabs  Not rated yet
Why does a blue crab turn red when you boil it?

To the best of my knowledge, all crabs turn color when boiled. So do lobster and crayfish. Why that ...

Soft Shell Crabs  Not rated yet
How long do soft shell crabs last after cleaning them?

If packaged and frozen right away, I would say up to 6 months in the freezer (or so)

eating king crab  Not rated yet
Why can't you eat the body of a king crab?

Good question! One that,unfortunately, I don't have an answer to. I have never seen whole King Crab for ...

Is it safe to eat the fur?  Not rated yet
Is it safe to eat the fur?

I can only assume that you are referring to the "fur" that grows on the shell. While I personally don't think it would hurt ...

Left Over Crab  Not rated yet
How long can I have crab in the fridge for left overs?

Crab, as with any type of seafood, probably shouldn't be kept for more than about two days. Better ...

Eating a 3 week old crab  Not rated yet
Is it ok to eat a 3 week old crab that has been stored the fridge, not the freezer? The crab seems to be ok and ate it with vinegar. I'm hoping it is still ...

Thawed Crab  Not rated yet
Can you eat crab that was pre-cooked, frozen and then left out to thaw overnight?

We don't see why you couldn't eat thawed crab! We, as well as thousands ...

Freezing Crab Cakes   Not rated yet
I have several cans of crab meat about to reach the expiration date. Can I make crab cakes (cooked/uncooked?) and then freeze them for future meals? I ...

Dungenss Crabs On Ice  Not rated yet
I didn't plan on purchasing dungeness crabs off the boat yesterday, though, I did put them on ice right away. Today, 24 hours later and still in the ice ...

How long are cooked snow crab legs okay to eat?  Not rated yet
I have a take out dinner of Snow Crab legs which we forgot about yesterday. I bought it late Thursday night, how long is it good to eat?

If you haven'...

Smelly Blue Swimmers  Not rated yet
I left my blue swimmers in a bucket yesterday and cooked them this morning. Little bit smelly but dont know if its worth the risk eating them?

Not ...

How do I pickel crab?  Not rated yet
How do I pickel crab?

Pickeled crab? Hmmm...that's a good question! I'm not even sure it sounds appetizing!? To be honest, we've never heard nor considered ...

Sticking King Crab Legs  Not rated yet
I steamed my king crab legs for the recommended time but the meat was stuck to the shell. I think they were not packed or first cooked properly.

To ...

Salty crab legs  Not rated yet
We bought crab legs at the store the other day. After steaming them, without adding salt, they were still extremely salty. What is the problem?

The ...

How long can you keep marinated crab claws on ice?  Not rated yet
How long can you keep marinated crab claws on ice?

We don't think it would hurt to keep your marinated crab claws on ice for a few days granted they ...

How to store leftover crab legs?  Not rated yet
We just had boiled King Crab Legs for dinner. We have a few legs uneaten. How do we store them in the fridge as leftovers to eat later? Do you store them ...

Safe to eat crab?  Not rated yet
I have some "bodies" that I cooked last Saturday that have been in a very cold refrigerator, safe to make crab cakes? They smell ok...

We wouldn't ...

Cooking Snow Crab Legs  Not rated yet
I plan on cooking snow crab legs on Super Bowl Sunday. What's the easiest way to go about this? I have about 10 pounds to cook up and I'm not sure how ...

Crab still good?  Not rated yet
I received a couple of cooked Dungeness Crabs from a friend still in their shell. They were cooked 3 days ago. I have them in a pot covered in the refrigerator....

How Old Are Crab?  Not rated yet
How old, normally, is the crab that we buy at the market, ie, dungeness crab?

Good question, Jimmy! Dungeness crabs can live as long as 13 years, but ...

Clueless about Crab  Not rated yet
I've never cooked a crab before, and someone told me to buy a live one from the store then boil it. I don't know if I can bring myself to put a live crab ...

Frozen Crab  Not rated yet
Is there someone out there that can help me with this question? I bought some live crab from the store and froze them as soon I got them home. That was ...

Time For Crab Legs Once Cooked  Not rated yet
How long are crab legs good for once cooked?

That depends on what you do with them after cooking the crab legs, whether you intend to store them in ...

Frozen Live Blue Crab  Not rated yet
I got some whole blue crabs at Vallis covered in plasic. They look uncooked and they aren't moving and I froze them. How long can they be in the freezer ...

Brown Crab Black Liquid Discharge  Not rated yet
We have caught many CA brown crabs before but never had this happen. The crabs were kept for 24 hours in the cooler covered in a towel soaked with sea ...

Brown Creamy Part of the Crab Edible?  Not rated yet
Is the brown creamy part of the crab edible? Recently in Australia, my friend purchased 12 crabs and insisted on washing away all the brown creamy part,...

Can You Re-Freeze Crab Legs?  Not rated yet
Can you refreeze previously frozen crab legs?

Hi Rob! It's a pretty good rule of thumb not to re-freeze previously frozen crab legs. If they were thawed ...

Cooked Crab  Not rated yet
Is it alright to eat cooked crab after it's been in the refrigerator for a week?

That's a really tough call, Dave. A week (7 days) is a long time to ...

Crab Boil  Not rated yet
I'm trying to surprize my boyfriend with a crab boil. However, the area that we live in, fresh crab is non-existant. So, my only option is to use pre-cooked ...

Crabs Longevity in Refrigerator  Not rated yet
How long do crab legs, bought from Winn-Dixie, last in the refrigerator?

How long crab legs last in the refrigerator depends on whether they are frozen ...

Crabs Still Alive While in Plastic?  Not rated yet
In Costco, they have these whole crabs that are packaged, they looked uncooked. How can they breathe while being wrapped in plastic? Don't they suffocate?...

Boiling Crab  Not rated yet
If you boiled crab, can you freeze it and boil it again?

Hi, Ash! I don't know why, if you boiled the crab once, you would want to boil it again? It'...

Leftover Crab Cakes  Not rated yet
Here in mid-west have to have crab shipped in....So they are frozen until holiday; then cooked. Then I have leftovers and hate to toss. Can I take the ...

Crab Still Fresh?  Not rated yet
I was given cooked shelled crab meat on Christmas Eve (4 days ago). Can you tell me if it is still good to eat from the refrigerator? It smells ok.

Sure!...

How Long Keep Crab In Frig  Not rated yet
How long can I keep crab once it is out of the freezer and in the fridge?

We wouldn't feel comfortable keeping thawed out crab in the refrigerator ...

Keeping Crab Alive  Not rated yet
Can I keep dungeness crabs alive for 8 hours in an ice chest full of ice?

No. The crabs will not stay alive on ice. Your best bet is to put them in ...

Frozen Crab Still Taste Good?  Not rated yet
Does fresh frozen crab taste as good once it is thawed?

In my personal opinion, once the crab has been cooked and frozen and thawed out for consumption,...

Freezing Live Crab  Not rated yet
I bought some live Dungeness crab a few days ago and had them clean and then put in the freezer right away without precooking them. Is this ok? And will ...

Cooked Crab and Food Poisoning  Not rated yet
Can you get food poisoning from cooked crab? We made a crab starter with cooked crab, lime juice and celery for Thanksgiving. We also served all of the ...

Freeze Crab Claws  Not rated yet
Can you freeze raw crab claws?

Yes, you can freeze raw crab claws.

Left Over King Crab  Not rated yet
How long to store already cooked king crab in fridge with shell on or off?

Only for a few (3) days max. for safest consumption for King Crab or any ...

Storing cooked crabs outside overnight  Not rated yet
We didn't have enough room in the refrigerator to store our cooked dungeness crabs so we stored in on the balcony. It's cold here, I'd say about 49 degrees ...

Can you freeze cooked crab meat?  Not rated yet
I have a bunch of dungeness crab meat from a crab feast two days ago and I'm not going to be able to eat it right away. Can I freeze the meat? It's already ...

How Long is Crab Meat Good in Shell?  Not rated yet
How long can you keep cooked crab in the shell?

If you refrigerate the crabs left in their shell, we only suggest a few days at the most. If you freeze ...

Uncooked Frozen Crab  Not rated yet
My husband caught some crab while fishing and he brought them home alive and stuck them in the freezer. Will they still be okay to eat/cook since they ...

Brown Crab Meat  Not rated yet
I have a pound of brown crab meat what can I do with it?


First of all, I'm not sure how many you are feeding and what kind of dishes you prefer, but ...

Before Crab Get Caught  Not rated yet
What happens to the crabs before they are caught to be cooked?

They go on their merry way...they molt 3-4 times a year. While molting, they hide from ...

How Long Do Crabs Stay Good?  Not rated yet
How long do crabs stay good for on ice after being cooked and cleaned?

I would say as long as the ice keeps them cold/frozen! Once the ice melts I ...

Freezing Jersey Blue Crab  Not rated yet
How should I freeze Jersey Blue Crab? Cooked,clean then freeze? Cleaned,raw and freeze? Help me please..Czap

We would treat Jersey Blue Crab the ...

Freezing Red Crabs Before Cleaning  Not rated yet
Is it safe to freeze red rock crabs overnight in a freezer before being cleaned?
Will freezing the crabs overnight kill them?
I used to use an axe and ...

Recipes With Frozen Crabs  Not rated yet
I'm looking for recipes that I can make. The crabs are caught and cooked and I cleaned the meat out. I have about a quart of crab meat. I'd like to prepare ...

Leftover Crab Legs  Not rated yet
I have leftover frozen crab legs from a month ago. Are there any recipes for making soup with the frozen leftover legs? Thanks.

We're so glad you ...

Frozen Blue Crabs Edible  Not rated yet
I caught some blue crabs yesterday evening. Put them on ice in the cooler and my son playing around closed the lid and plug. Some were moving some were ...

Previously Steamed Then Frozen Blue Crab  Not rated yet
We bought steamed crabs that were steamed that morning and put them in the chest freezer that evening. How long will they be good to thaw and eat? And ...

OK to Eat Crabs?  Not rated yet
Caught the crabs late last night, put them in refrigerator. Took them out about lunch time to steam and they did not move. Waited a long while and they ...

Snow Crabs  Not rated yet
Can you eat the whole body on Snow Crabs?

No, Snow Crabs bodies are not advised as "edible" like Blue Crab are in their soft shell state.

Cleaning Crabs  Not rated yet
How long can you wait after you had cooked the crabs to clean them?

Just till they are cooled down enough to handle. We always take the crabs out of ...

Legal Places to Catch Dungeness Crabs  Not rated yet
Hi. I live in San Fransisco and have been searching long and hard for any legal places to catch dungeness crabs. Do you know any places? Not places that ...

Refrigerating Left Over Steamed Crabs  Not rated yet
After you eat your steamed blue crabs and there are left over crabs, how long is safe to keep them refrigerated before they are no longer safe to eat?

After ...

Keeping Crab Alive  Not rated yet
Keeping crab alive is an imperative step you need to take prior to cleaning crab.
You need to consider possible harmful bacteria and biotoxins that ...

Steaming Crabs  Not rated yet
We bought crabs at the market and they were alive. We put them on ice. They are not moving at all and can't tell if they are stunned by cold or if they ...

Blue Crab Claws  Not rated yet
How can I keep blue crab claws that I just caught until Sunday? Is that ok?
Edited answer:
Yes, I believe so! I misunderstood earlier when I responded....

Cooking Crab A Second Time  Not rated yet
Cooking crab a 2nd time after only cooking for only 5 minutes and then freezing....???
The crab appears to be raw..and has black liquid on it... the meat ...

Live Crabs  Not rated yet
I bought live crabs today and put them in cooler on ice to steam tomorrow, is this allright to do?

No, this is not allright, nor is it safe for consumption....

Freezing Fresh Crab  Not rated yet
Can I freeze crabs I caught today before cleaning and cooking?

Yes and no. Yes you can wait to clean your crabs, but you still need to boil them before ...

Blue Crab Killing and Freezing  Not rated yet
Can you kill blue crabs and freeze before cooking?

Good rule of thumb with Blue Crab is to kill them by steaming them up, first, before freezing them....

Help With Boiling and Freezing Crab  Not rated yet
We recently caught some crab at Westport, WA and boiled them until they turned red, then cooled them, then put them in freezer bags and put in our freezer....

Crab Freezing  Not rated yet
Can you freeze uncooked crab legs?

Hello! The recommendations for properly freezing and keeping crab legs safe to eat at a later time is to boil them ...

Crab Boil  Not rated yet
I did a big crab boil and now I have a pot full of very yummy smelling water! Is there anything I can do with it?

Emerge your crab into that water,...

How to eat parts of Snow Crab legs.  Not rated yet
Can you eat the meat in the soft part of the crab leg (I guess it is the thigh?) where the upper leg is attached? It sometimes has greenish grey stuff ...