The commercial stone crab industry in Florida harvests as much as 3.5 million pounds of crabs a year. Local Find: Hip +Innovative Studio Boutique, Nordstrom Sale Items I Own and Would Suggest. During the summer months, we offer a superior quality, previously frozen claw. As mentioned, melted garlic butter or cocktail sauce are good options. The Spruce / Molly Watson. Crack the claw; don't obliterate it. Stone crabs are a rare sustainable fishery. Serve immediately. Take your butter knife and hit the shell close to the clap of the claw until you can gently break it open to reveal the meat. 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 … For these, all you need to do is to crack the shell and pull it open. Set the claws aside for cracking and removing the meat later. If you get meat while your pullin’ thats a bonus! To cook these crab claws, place them in a pot of boiling water with whatever seasonings you to desire. Then take one of the side and hold the opening towards you like a hamburger that your going to take a bite of. Let it boil without removing the lid for 15 minutes. 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 Aluminum stone crab claw cracker on cutting board material base,hand made in the Florida Keys.The best thing for cracking claws without smashing them! Step 4: I save the claws for last but you could do them sooner. https://www.victorimedia.com, Your email address will not be published. Whatever tool you use, start with minimal force and add more until the shell cracks—you want to avoid too much shattering of the shell and thus having too many shards of shell in the crabmeat. Consider wearing oven mitts to protect your hands because the … Remove the shell and pull out the meat, which can then be dipped into a sauce of your choice. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Pull the legs off or not, your choice. The cracks from squeezing it should then allow you to open it to reveal the tunnels/cavities of meat. Take your knife and lay it with the sharp side down on the middle of the red side of the claw. Tilley's Threads is a for-profit blog and a part of several affiliate advertising programs. Love the video! Email: Sales@TealCrab.com. Phillips Crab Cocktail Claws are the first section of the crab claw with part of the shell removed. The crabs I purchased happen to be male crabs, known as "Jimmys." Whether you picked some up at a local market or caught them yourself, the most popular way to prepare blue crabs is to boil them live. You can boil water and add salt. Crab mallets are designed to be lightweight because they need to crack open the shell without smashing it into little bits. How to Eat Blue Crabs Like a Pro. Tori || Victori Media This male blue claw crab has a "tab" that looks like the 'Washington Monument', a female crab has a tab that looks like the US Capitol. Remember the bending back-and-forth motion used to break the crab leg? 7 expensive beauty products you can make yourself. But don’t bite all the way through…there is a tricky shell in between the meat! All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. After pulling them up from the traps, fishermen break off the crabs’ claws before throwing them back, so the pinchers can regenerate. wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. The crab crackers have 3 different places where you can crack the crab or lobster shells according to the size and then just use the fork to cleanly scoop out the meat with ease. Stone crabs are a rare sustainable fishery. Step 3. Preparation. However, you might not have yet tried Jonah crab.You will find that Jonah crab claws have an excellent taste. Thank you for sharing. lol. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 43,822 times. Crabs’ claws are sharp and, before you submerge them, the crabs are likely to be active. CHOOSE – First, choose a favorite type of hardshell crab. If you get meat while your pullin’ thats a bonus! Equipment Needed: Hand Towel, Metal Spoon. Repeat this process until you can open it completely. All Rights Reserved. Brown meat: the first section of the crab claw with part of the shell removed. Bring the water in the covered pot to a rolling boil. Tilley's Threads © 2020. For steps 2 and 3, the joints have cartilage, so break downwards with the white part facing up. cans. You almost always find crabs in the market frozen for this reason, as fisherman either boil their catch on the trawler or the dock, depending on the size of the operation. Your support helps wikiHow to create more in-depth illustrated articles and videos and to share our trusted brand of instructional content with millions of people all over the world. Equipment Needed: Hand Towel, Metal Spoon. The claw serves as the perfect handle for dipping this meat in cocktail sauce or melted butter. King crab, snow crab, blue crab, or wild-caught Alaskan bairdi (or tanner) crab are all good options. Crack the crab cavity in two. 5 Minute Steamed Stone Crab Claws. Use the crab mallet to gently hit the knife until it is halfway through the claw. Place the crabs into the ice bath using long metal tongs. I love crab! For those of you who have never lived in an area where blue crabs were readily on the menu, you may have some difficulty learning how to eat blue crabs. 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. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. 1. Use the crab mallet to gently hit the knife until it is halfway through the claw. Eating crabs. Because then there might not be enough for us! Amid the current public health and economic crises, when the world is shifting dramatically and we are all learning and adapting to changes in daily life, people need wikiHow more than ever. cooking crab claws is simple and provides you with an exquisite experience. The easiest way to open a claw: Take your knife and lay it with the sharp side down on the middle of the red side of the claw. I’m with Tori on the heebie jeebies, but I bet this helps crab-lovers! https://www.sheknows.com/.../articles/1127481/how-to-crack-crab-legs 2.) When the water is boiling, reduce the heat, add the crabs, and let cook for approximately 3 minutes. My mouth waters just thinking about it! Jonah Crab Taste. June 25, 2020. Use a knife or ice pick to stab the crab through its shell 1 … This video was actually helpful in making less of a mess! Owning a crab mallet saves you a lot of time when trying to eat whole crabs. I have never cracked a crab! http://www.southernbelleintraining.com. To cook stone crab claws, start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. A crab mallet is best used to crack open a crab’s 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’re using a live blue crab, submerge the crab in a large bowl of ice water for 2-3 minutes to stun it. Next we're going to crack open the claw. My sister loves blue crab so I’ll have to share this with her! How To Crack Open Blue Crabs. Maryland Blue Crabs are thought by many to be the best tasting crabs available. Leave the point intact. xo, When caught Stone Crabs are removed from the traps and just one large claw is taken, and the live crab is returned to the ocean. Cut the claws at the joint. Live Crab Boiling Instructions—via Williams Sonoma You will need… 8 qt. This article has been viewed 43,822 times. Last Updated: September 3, 2019 Ensure you clean out the inside of the crab and remove the gills, lungs, and digestive organs. Blue Crack’n Crab Cleaner and Showa Atlas 620 Glove Combo $ 30.45; Dungeness Crack’n Crab Cleaner and Showa Atlas 377 Glove Combo $ 33.45; Dungeness Crack’n Crab Cleaner and Showa Atlas 620 Glove Combo $ 30.45; Blue Crack’n Crab Cleaner and Float Combo $ 29.95; Teal Crab LLC. SEPARATE – Separate each of the legs from the cluster, breaking them off with your hands. I’m scared to cook crab and lobster at home because I have no idea what to do with it after it’s boiled. Step 2. 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 Stone Crab Claws. Step 1: Pull off the legs. A flat meat tenderizer—one solid whack and the claw cracks open enough to pull apart—works as well. Turn the crab over so that its belly faces you. Wow, that’s definitely a skill that I gotta learn to master eventually!! Fresh Alabama Blue Crab is a delicacy on the Gulf Coast. If you are going to use the claws, you'll want to break them off at the first joint. Luckily though, the process is easy to learn and involves just a few simple steps; you will be an expert quickly if you are willing to try. Thanks . https://www.chowhound.com/recipes/easy-steamed-blue-crabs-30377 How to Pick Clean and Crack Blue Crabs timvidra.blogspot.com/2011/07/how-to-pick-clean-and-crack... Show more Drop a whole stick of butter, whole peeled garlic cloves and the 1/2 lemon onto the pile of claws. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. You can do this using your hands or knife. By using our site, you agree to our. For most of us, eating blue crabs is something that we've learned over the years from watching our dads and older brothers. I highly recommend that you crack them a few hours before you plan to serve them then put them back in the fridge and let the excess water drain off, it makes eating the claws much less messy. In the Tilley family, it is a HUGE summertime treat to get a bushel of jimmys (another name for a male crab) and sit around a newspaper covered table! I only feature products I truly love and all opinions are my own. The claw will open and make it much easier to grab the crabmeat. 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. No plates needed here! Use a crab cracker to break open the claws. How to Crack a Blue Crab: Step 1: Pull off the legs. Simply strike the claw at its thickest point, taking care not to hit your fingers, until the shell shatters, and then extract the … . wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. 4. 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. http://www.thediaryofadebutante.com. Step 1. A nutcracker or lobster cracker is a popular choice. Then, remove the crab from the ice water and lay it on its back. Be careful not to get pinched. Crab mallets have long handles with small solid heads. To be honest I’m not a huge seafood person, and cracking the shells gives me the heebie jeebies! Crack open the ligaments on the legs too, that meat is very flavorful! Eat! Step 3: Crack the body down the natural middle. Remove the two large pincer claws by breaking them off at the body. If crab legs are a special treat, then lobster claws are a special occasion all on their own. Let the claws cook for 5 minutes and then remove them with the tongs. If you're choosing crabs from a tank or cooler, look for feisty specimens. The crabs are the easiest part of the crab to eat without crackers. 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. Peel off the shell and gently remove the meat. Using your fingers, lift up its heart-shaped apron, or tail, and pull it back to snap it off of the body. Lastly, swivel the knife to the side. Louisiana Blue Crab. I found this post so funny! Crab Feast!!! To create this article, 11 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. Simply strike the claw at its thickest point, taking care not to hit your fingers, until the shell shatters, and then extract the meat with your fingers or a … Step 1: Break It Down. You’ll need a seafood cracker, a cocktail fork, and a bowl for the empty shells. Once the water starts to boil, move the pot to a cool burner. How To Crack Stone Crab Claws. Crabappeal Is The Only Shellfish Tool You Will Ever Need **Package Contains 2 Crabappeals** Easy To Use Too Crack Open Crab Legs, Lobster Tails And Lobster Claws. Squeeze this part together. For these, all you need to do is to crack the shell and pull it open. Take either halves and cut it in half again. The season begins on October 15 and ends on May 1. This was so helpful! 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 force used on a soft-boiled egg. Thanks for sharing!! 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 … Let them cook for 8-10 minutes. 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. Required fields are marked *. Bring the water to a boil and place the crab claw into the pot. Joe's stone crabs must be kept refrigerated in a bowl & uncracked. Hold the claw in the palm of your hand, using a hand towel to protect your hand. Crab fingers. How to Crack a Blue Crab: Step 1: Pull off the legs. Even smaller crab claws will need to be cracked since the shell on the claw is thicker than on the other legs. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. 3.) Then, use a pair of tongs to put the crab claws in the hot water. After pulling them up from the traps, fishermen break off the crabs’ claws before throwing them back, so the pinchers can regenerate. To prepare these blue crab recipes, leave the point of the claw intact, and remove the rest of the shell from the claws. Next, add the crabs one by one, leaving the claws attached. Scrape out the "mustard", you can eat it if you want to or discard it. Remove the gills from each side of the crab and discard them. The literal translation of this Latin name is the beautiful (calli) swimmer (nectes) that is savory (sapidus). Crack open the ligaments on the legs too, that meat is very flavorful! Crab Houses of the Chesapeake Bay. Diary of a Debutante …and I know in the video I am piling up my meat but in reality, I dip it in butter and eat it immediately! As soon as you smell the crab meat, put off the heat and take the crab out. An important note when boiling/ steaming the crab claws is the appropriate timing. To obtain your very own "How to crack into a crab" wall poster, please visit their online store. Why? …and I know in the video I am piling up my meat but in reality, I dip it in butter and eat it immediately! Hold the claw in the palm of your hand, using a hand towel to protect your hand. The Jonah crabs are found and caught along the eastern coast of North America. I alwayssss make other people do this for me haha I need to learn!!! Fly Navarro visits Cod and Capers Seafood to learn a new method of cracking stone crab claws that is easy, safe and prevents pushing shell into the delicate meat of the claw. Press your palm down to break the chambers and pull apart if you decide to use your hands. Maryland blue crabs have become known throughout the US, and even worldwide as one of the most sought after seafood delicacies. I love crab but always feel ridiculous trying to eat/prepare it so thank you! 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. In 5 minutes flat these babies will be steamed to perfection and ready to crack open and dip in some clarified butter! 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. 2. Using your fingers, lift up its heart-shaped apron, or tail, and pull it back to snap it off of the body. Lastly, swivel the knife to the side. Blue Claw Crab! Step 2. Now the tough part, how to prepare and boil! How To Crack Stone Crab Claws. Learn more... Did you know there is a right way to crack a crab? Drain crabs in a colander. You will want to pre crack the claws for you guests. Then break the mobile side of the 3. Steamed Blue Crab Claws. Cover the pan and set it on a large burner on your stovetop. Fill the stockpot half-full with tap water. Grant demonstrates the spoon method of cracking claws and it couldn’t be easier. 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. Living in the south and having almost constant seafood boils, I forget that so many people don’t know how to crack them haha. References. This piece will function as a handle for the eater to hold as they strip the meat from the rest of the claw with their teeth—at least, that’s the way we eat claws down South. Set the claws aside for cracking and removing the meat later. You can use your fingers or thing metal seafood picks to pull the meat out. There are just two easy steps to cleaning blue crabs this way: Crack off the top of the shell; Clean out the guts and gills (the easiest way to do this is to blast it all out with a hose) This leaves lots of delicious meat in the corners of the body, in addition to in the claws and legs. No one wants to go picking through their crab meat for tiny pieces of shell! Marinate them in your favorite lemon or butter/Worcestershire Sauce. Crab Meat Crab Cocktail Claws (6) 12 oz. 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. 2. Blue Channel Inn: 1258 Bay Dale Dr: Arnold, MD: 410-974-0777: Bellas Sports Bar & Restaurant. The best tool for the job is a mallet. Put the claw in between the 2 metal arms of the cracker. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Stephanie Remove the crab’s back shell and discard it. {"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":"