How do you cook just the crab meat?

by Tom
(Salem, Oregon)

How do you cook just the crab meat? I have plain raw meat.

Crab-o-licious.com Replied:-Since the crab meat that you have is raw, just make sure that however you decide to use that crab meat it is cooked thoroughly as you say the meat is "raw" and hasn't been boiled. With that said in "how to cook it" depends on you! Your possibilities are endless.
You can heat the crab meat up (thoroughly), dip in warmed butter and eat to your hearts content. Or, you can use one of our crab meat recipes or make crab cakes, a soup or chowder with that crab meat....Like I said, the possibilities are endless and totally up to you! Enjoy that delicious crab meat!

Cooking King and Snow Crabs

Can I cook King crab and snow crab legs in the same pot?

Crab-o-licious.com Replied:-I don't see why not! Please note that king crab legs are meatier than snow, so what we would do is put them king's in first and then the snow crab. But, yes, by all means, I couldn't think of one good reason you couldn't cook them together...Enjoy them!

Cooked Crab Meat Turned Mushy

by Sally
(Seattle, Washington)

Caught fresh crabs on Sunday and cooked them on Monday evening. The crab leg meat is fine, but the other part is mushy. I boiled them 15 minutes. What makes the meat mushy? What did I do wrong?

Thanks!
Sally

Crab-o-licious.com Replied:-Hello, Sally! Thanks for visiting Crab-O-Licious.com! Off hand I can't imagine what would cause that to happen. If I was to suggest a single solution to this dilemma, I would tell you to be sure that your crab are cooking in a FULL boil for 15-20 minutes. It is possible that, when adding crab to a boiling pot, the initial water temperature is reduced below the boiling point and therefore must be re-heated back up to the boiling point. This only takes a few minutes to achieve. Next time you have crab try to boil them just a few minutes longer and see if that doesn't eliminate the mushiness! Enjoy that crab! "Catch 'em! Clean 'em! Cook 'em! Eat 'em!"


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Keeping the Heat on Crab Soup

by Denise
(Balto.)

I was always told when making crab soup for an all day party you have to keep heat on the soup. Is that true and why or why not?

Crab-o-licious.com Replied:-This is kind of a bloated question and not sure "why" you would "have to" keep the heat on crab soup? I would imagine if you cooked the soup in the morning for a later in the day serve, that you very well could cool it down and refrigerate it till later, then, heat it back up. What would be wrong with that, especially if you needed to leave the house and finish some last minute shopping or something, you certainly wouldn't want to leave crab soup simmering on the stove unattended!
On the other hand, if you are serving a party of, like, 10 people and you're making your favorite homemade crab soup just for them. You start cooking it up around 3-ish so you can have it ready for around 6-ish...What would be wrong with making sure your broth and all ingredients are done, let's say, around 5, even though guests aren't showing up until 6, and go ahead and simmer your crab soup while you wait for your guests to show! That way, when your special guests arrive, they will be greeted with the wonderful aromic flavors of your special crab soup! Now, that sounds like a winning evening for you! Imagine this with some fresh bread! No doubt that you're guests will come through the door with their noses quite happy and their appetites in full attention!
Now, if you are suppose to keep the crab soup hot all day long, then, by all means, simmer it. It surely won't hurt. I don't think there is a right or wrong in simmering or not simmering crab soup for an all day party. If you do keep it simmered, just check it every now and then and make sure it's not scorching the bottom of your kettle. You may need to add some liquid, leftover broth, water or milk to keep it from thickening too much if it's like a crab bisque or chowder.


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Rubbery Shell, Dry Meat

by Roger & Jan
(Sharps Chapel, TN)

We had king crab tonight and were disappointed. The shell was rubbery and the meat was dry.

We cooked it in the microwave for three minutes.

Crab-o-licious.com Replied:-The rubbery crab and dry meat, then, are perfectly understandable. Microwaving king crab will do that. We do not/will not ever recommend microwaving crab for fresh tasting consumption!
The ONLY way we use the microwave for ANY crab dish is with a leftover casserole or soup. NEVER for heating the crab legs!
Next time, steam the king crab legs. You'll enjoy them at their freshest sweetest possible flavor by only steaming them till they are heated all the way through. And they shouldn't stick to the shell.

Steaming Crabs

by Gloria Martin
(New Hope, VA)

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 are dead. Are they still ok to steam?

Crab-o-licious.com Replied:-Did the market tell you to put them on ice? Did you have them cleaned before putting them on ice?
Putting them on ice (whole crab) simply "stuns" them. Keeping them alive till you can cook them up is imperative, especially whole crabs.
If you take them off ice and put them in cool water and they don't come around (start breathing and moving, you can tell by poking one of their eyes or an antenna) then they are dead and it's too late to safely cook them and eat them.

If the meat is clear are they overcooked?

What does it mean if the meat is clear?

Crab-o-licious.com Replied:-Quite the opposite. Much like many "white meat" sea foods (shrimp and lobster for example) the meat will definitely change from clear/opaque to a noticeably white color. Additionally the meat will become firmer as it cooks.
We recommend a solid 15 minutes boiling time (slightly rolling boil) to ensure complete cooking.Enjoy that crab!

Body meat?

by Alisha
(Norfolk, VA)

Is there meat in the body of the crab to eat or is it just the legs? And if so, what is the best way to cook that?

Crab-o-licious.com Replied:-There really is no meat in the body but... especially in Dungeness Crab, there is a LOT of meat in the "knuckles" area where the legs attach to the body. Please view our video on cleaning crab and this will become apparent to you. As for the best way to cook that.... it really comes down to what tickles your taste-buds. Try experimenting will different types of crab boil or use seasonings of your own choosing. The most important thing to remember is to enjoy!

Cooked Crabs

If I bought some freshly cooked blue crabs on Sunday and did not refrigerate them are they still edible?

Crab-o-licious.com Replied:-I would have to say absolutely NOT! Even though your blue crabs were already cooked, it is extremely inadvisable to leave any food out for that long of a period of time (Sun. to Tue.)ALWAYS refrigerate or freeze your cooked crab to preserve them if you won't be eating them right away!

How many cups of crab meat in 12 ounces?

I have a recipe requiring 12 ounces of crab meat -- how many cups (measuring cups) is this equal to?

Crab-o-licious.com Replied:-A cup equals 8 ounces, so 12 ounces of crab meat would call for 1 1/2 cups.

How do I cook live snow crab?

I have a cooler full of live snow crabs. I am looking to boil them and I am getting mixed reviews as to whether I should cook them alive or just cook the legs. How long should they boil?

Crab-o-licious.com Replied:- Ok, here's the scoop...You just caught the snow crabs I guess as you said that they are alive and in a cooler. So, depending on what you want to do, eat them or freeze them or both?

If you just want to eat them, I suggest you boil them for 20-30 minutes, cool them over ice or ice cold water, then, clean them. Then you can reheat the legs in a steamer, which will keep them hot while you're cracking them. If you have any leftovers, you can store them in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, or, you can freeze them and eat them later. It's up to you! Either way, take care of them now to enjoy them. You need to boil them first and foremost....OR...you can clean them first, boil the legs and thighs for about 20 minutes and then steam them. And the same applies to leftovers if you have any and the same also applies as above if you wish to freeze them.

The pro for boiling before cleaning them is totally a "moral thing" with us. We prefer to make the kill by emerging them in the boiling water. They die almost instantly. When you choose to clean them first before boiling them, you also have to kill them with a sharp object between the eyes before shelling them and all that gory stuff. We choose the first way of boiling, but that's totally up to you! Enjoy those snow crabs! Catch 'em! Clean 'em! Cook 'em! Eat 'em!

Time Between Dead Crab and Cooking Crab

How long can a crab be dead before you have to cook it? What should it look and smell like for it to still be good?

Crab-o-licious.com Replied:-Crabs, all kinds to the best of my knowledge, must be kept alive in order to cook and eat them. The one thing that we here at Crab-O-Licious stress is: Dead crab are BAD crab.
While blue crab can be "slushed" in ice water and packed belly down but NOT placed directly on ice in order to keep them alive (but dormant) for a couple of days; Dungeness, King Crab and Snow Crab must be kept alive and breathing. This means they need a continuously replenished oxygen supply in order to survive until you get them home and in the boiler. The other alternative is to clean them live.
As far as looks are concerned: dead...,alive..., they pretty much look the same unless they have been dead for several days. Also, should the start to smell "funny" at all they have probably been dead for a quite some time. A good rule of thumb to follow is one that applies to buying fish (works for crab too) That is; FRESH fish (or crab) should NOT smell fishy! If it does.... then question it's freshness. Enjoy that crab! "Catch 'em! Clean 'em! Cook 'em! Eat 'em!"

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What happens if you eat crab that was dead when cooked?

(Ocean City,NJ)

I caught a bunch of blue crab yesterday and put them in the fridge overnight. Some of them seemed dead when I cooked them today. What would happen if I ate some of the crabs that were dead?

Crab-o-licious.com Replied:-Most likely you would get VERY sick. As I have said many times before.... DEAD crab are BAD crab! When crab dies, toxins are released into their bodies and they become no good for consuming! Always either clean "live" and freeze them for later or cook them, clean them and freeze them for later! Better to be safe than sorry!

Cooking lobster?

Bought live main lobster to have the next day put them in frig and was not able to eat them
next day however they were still alive so kept them over another night missed again so now they show no signs of life put them in freezer.

Now can they still be eaten?

Crab-o-licious.com Replied:-I am going to go out on limb here a little because, after all, we are basically all about crab not necessarily lobster. However, if it were me, I would say NO....don't eat them now. The day after when they still had life in them I would go for it but....since they apparently have died I would not take a chance on it.
Next time you get lobster I would suggest taking the 20-30 minutes it would require to go ahead and boil them up. That way you could freeze them and eat them later; possibly even MUCH later if you vacuum sealed them. Better to take the time to preserve you eating pleasures than to end up losing your lobster. Enjoy!

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