Why do crab houses cook crabs live?

Each morning, dedicated crabbers follow their charted buoys to hoist in the morning’s catch. From the moment the crabs get selected for a graded basket according to size, they get the royal treatment to keep them alive.  Wet burlap, cool ventilated coolers, but never submerged in a pool of water, blue crabs require the utmost care. Give them ample oxygen, and an unthreatening environment. This consistent treatment follows the crabs to the crab house for their storage in a refrigerated cooler at about 52 degrees F. The ideal temperature will keep the crabs alive and ready for the steaming or boiling. When perished, crab meat instantly becomes inedible, so a rapid trip to cooking is essential. The successful trip keeps the crabs cool and docile. So true with a shipment of live blues to your outdoor feast and quick cooking. Choose a time that will take the crabs from your custom shipping cooler directly into the pot. The home process follows the same crab house standards for storing crabs for a successful and delicious feast.

Jumbo-Size Your Crab Meat!

When picking steamed blue crabs, you may notice two pristine chucks that pull from the back-paddle legs. Void of shells and plump in texture, jumbo blue crab meat serves as a true delicacy for the enthusiast. Either for an exquisite recipe or a hot butter dip during a family feast, the sweet robust chunks boast a buttery flavor distinct from genuine USA Blue Crabs. These crab chunks deserve a prized position at the table. Maryland Style Crab Imperial with a side of toasted crostini, Restaurant Style Jumbo Lump Maryland Crab Cakes served on a Kaiser roll and Jumbo Lump Crab Au Gratin adorned next to a chopped house salad all pay respect to a meal worth showing off.

Blue crabs do offer lump crab meat from the two crab cavities. Seafood picking tools and your trusty fingers can pull out most of the meat with ease, but not as easy as a chunk that dislodges at the back of the crab. Pristine and similar tasting to jumbo, but with a flakier texture, lump packs into a crab cake majestically. Finally, claw cracks from the two front pincers and has a fibrous, somewhat nutty hint. Crab soup and sauces take on the robust claw flavor for a sophisticated pallet. A trick in the kitchen will ensure all three showcase a recipe with maximum enjoyment. Consider soaking the meat in milk for approximately 20 minutes. Then gently rinse. The meat will lose any fishy taste and boast a salty-sweetness. Give it a smell and it should give off a sweet odor with a hint of the ocean.

Eat with assurance, jumbo crab meat boasts 15 grams of protein per 3 oz. serving and high levels of calcium, good for bone health and potassium for a strong nervous system.  Besides these impressive benefits, when you jumbo-size your crab meat, you let your diner know this meal aims to impress!