Crab Life

[kbeachy46]

Is there a way to keep live crabs alive for more than a few hours? I have heard you can refridgerate them for 2 or 3 days and they'll be OK. While I'm crabbing is it beneficial to dunk them in the water or am I just wasting time. I have finally figured out how to catch a few; now I need to know how to handle them. I don't live on the water so I can't keep em in large trap or cage until I am ready to cook.
There is probably an old post about this but darn if I can find it. Any suggestions appreciated.

[crabby and son]

Once you take the crabs out of the water and place in a basket, do not dunk them in the water. Just try to keep them out of the sun and place a damp towel on top of the basket. You can put them in a cooler with ice but don't let them sit in water in the cooler. They will stay alive if kept refrigerated but need air.......Gary

[rgminer]

I worked in a crab house as a kid for several summers. We kept our crabs fresh in a walk in fridge, sometimes up to 5 days...I say FRESH not ALIVE...We never checked for dead crabs we just dumped them into the steamer. I ate those same crabs many many nights and never once got sick. I don't subscribe to the idea that crabs need to be alive when cooked (as long as they have been kept COLD). Lobster houses in New England have been selling stills (dead) refridgerated lobsters forever and I think the same holds true for crabs. As long as they are kept below 40 degrees they are safe to eat. I wouldn't try to keep fresh crabs more than 4-5 days, however you can keep steamed crabs in the fridge for 5-7 days and they can be frozen if need be.

[port fisher]

An old crabber told me long ago that if you have a "dead crab" that you want to steam you check for one thing. Open the "feeder flaps" on the crabs mouth and spread the "beak" apart. If it closes back up quickly the crab is good. If it doesn't, throw the crab away. Once bacteria starts to set in it affects the muscle system immediately. If the beak does not close back up on the first spread, there is a possibility that it is no good. This has worked for me for a long time and yes I will cook a dead crab but only after it passes the test! Just my opinion on what works for me. I have never had anyone get sick from crabs I have caught and steamed!:thumbup:

[fshbt24]

if you take a big cooler with you just keep them on ice good and cold dont have to worry about any dead ones i have cooked them the next day and all the crabs are good dead or alive . Also been in crab houses where they leave the crabs in a big tub of ice water over night then come in and steam them the next day all the crabs are good.

[BigWillJ]

From the time we leave the water, get back home, and steam our catch, more than 4 hours usually passes. The crabs travel in a wet towel covered basket in the back of a very hot pickup truck with a capped bed. Can't remember the last time we ever lost any to speak of.

[night nurse]

Glad to see that I am not the only one who eats dead crabs. But the do have to be "fresh"

TED

[Nummer1]

A healthy crab can last for days out of water and without refrigeration. keep them out of the sun and in a tightly packed basket to keep from stirring and fighting. i ve seen crabs killed in seconds by other crabs.usually i cook them right away then keep them in the fridge for up to a week in a cardboard box or paper bag. N1

[kbeachy46]

Thanks for the great information. I can crab Friday and Saturday; steam and eat on Sunday.

[Chessie27]

Also been in crab houses where they leave the crabs in a big tub of ice water over night then come in and steam them the next day all the crabs are good.

I worked at a large crab house and this trick is used to slow them down so they don't fight in the steamer. No one wants to pay crab house prices for a bunch of clawless crabs! We would soak them for an hour or two before steaming, but not overnight. I don't think this was to help keep them fresh...? It's much faster then ice-pickin' a bushel.

[ChBoxers800]

Have been crabbing for years and always use a basket kept in the shady part of the boat with a damp towel over it. Never any problem keeping them alive. So now the question. We just bought a new boat that has an airiated livewell in it. I realize that's for fishing but will it keep crabs? I'm thinking that since it's river water that is constantly being circulated, it might be perfect but I'm afraid to try it in case of killing them.

Thanks.

[Crabpot Man]

It'll work for a couple, but not many.

[KawCrab]

I usually keep my crabs in my livewell because it is so close to where I pull. Just do not forget to pump in new water every once and a while. As far as keeping crabs alive, I have gone two days keeping them iced up in a cooler. Make sure you drain the cooler or just leave the plug out.

[bebopper]

I've never eaten a live crab, is it like sushi?

For fisherman, I've kept peelers alive for several days in the small Igloo Playmate cooler.
I put ice in the bottom, lay cardboard from a Coke 12 pack on the ice ( a plastic tub would work) and then place the peelers on the cardboard. Drain the water and replace the ice as needed.

[doublermaster]

Leave the crabs in your bushel basket with a wet burlap bag over them. We've kept them in the basement to be eaten the next evening pleanty of times. Sometimes there are 1-2 casualties, but we usually use the smell test. Crabs smell bad in general, but the ones that have been dead a while have quite a funk. These crabs go in the trash. Usually the ones that die are ones that probably should have been thrown back anyways because they are on the lighter side. If they don't smell real bad they get steemed.