Thread: Change of Plans: Boiling Crabs

So I pulled the Backs & Claws first packing the bodies & pinchers in a Rubbermaid Storage container. I filled 2 of these up and the containers are huge.



I use a glass bowl with ice water to cool a stainless bowl receptacle for the picked crab meat to keep it very cool.



I filled 2 5 gallon buckets with shells.



Using a very large stainless bowl I mixed the Lump, Claw, and Body Crab Meat together. I don't try to cook with just certain parts of a crab, it's all fair game for the pot.



These are Ball Freezer Jelly containers on the left (no longer available) and the current Ball Freezer containers. I use these on the left first as you are packing the meat into the container for freezing you really pack it removing as much air as possible. The lids have a seal and when screwed down compresses the crab meat more.



Here 6 containers are packed as tight as I can get them by hand without ruining the crab meat.



Stored in a Zero Degrees freezer this Crab meat will stay perfect for 6 months, taste really good at the 9 month mark, and taste like canned Crab by 1 year. I use my oldest Crab meat for Gumbos, freshest for Crab Cakes.