Crab steaming question?

[mikehn]

Many of you use the steamer pots / turkey fryers purchased from one of the club retailers. I also use one of these large pots I bought from Costco. My question is, when steaming crabs, do you use the steamer basket or do you steam the crabs directly in the pot? If you use the steamer basket, do you elevate the steamer basket above the water? Or do you just let the steamer basket submerge into the water? If you elevate the steamer basket, how do you do that? What do you use to elevate the steamer basket? Am I making any sense?

[fisheyed]

I just bought a 85qt pot (little big wish i had gotten a 65) and I made a rack that is 2-3 inches off the bottom supported by bolts (SS). If I had a basket I would definately raise it out of the h2o. You really don't need that much water with fresh crabs because they will actually release h2o upon cooking as long as you have a tight lid your ok. I have heard of people putting rocks in the bottom for elevation as well as bricks and wood blocks. I don't use a basket because of space considerations. (plus i never had one on hand) I got the pot from good things cheap in baltimore for 50 bucks (it is SS) and it works like a charm. It will hold 1.5 bu. but I usually only cook one at a time by just dumping the whole thing in at once, after it has started steaming, and then dumping a bunch of spice . I like the KISS method. If you need any tips just bmail be. Good luck, wish I had some now.

[mikehn]

fisheyed, your answer is exactly what I was lookin for. I too like to steam my crabs on top of the water versus in the water. Wanted to see what people were using to elevate their crabs off the water. Bricks are too big, rocks are probably ok but I'd have to find a bunch of equal size. I like your homemade rack the best. Hopefully you can show us all how to make one before the summer arrives.:)

[b dog]

i have a cooker made to do 1 bush. crabs ,came with basket. i like to keep crabs out of water otherwise your boiling crabs not steaming. stole a cookie cooling rack from wifes kit. bent the square ends down,they keep rack off bottom put that inside basket. now i can lift whole mess out when done.water stays in pot hot and ready for next batch.christmas cookie time she seems to think she had more cooling racks for cookies.

[POLECAT]

I have one of those turkey fryers with basket.
I used long enough bolts to raise the basket as high as possible without interfering with lid closure.
You really want to keep crabs out of the liquid.

[mikehn]

cookie cooling rack...hmmm...sounds easy

[Bob H.]

I use one of those tall turkey cookers. I made a "rack" out of 3/32" AL and drilled 1/4" holes throughout. Raised the rack about 2" with bolts/nuts. The rack that came with the cooker was too small.

[b dog]

thats it cheap and easy.could get at supermarket just measure dia.of pot and start looking.can trim down with snips,don't have to worry about raised basket hiting lid.i like cheap and easy.well sometimes i do !

[mikehn]

thanks to everyone...definitely some good ideas to consider. Ideally, I would like to make some sorta "rack" insert for my pot to raise the crabs off the water a few inches and would fit snug to the inside of the pot so that I can just throw the crabs directly in the pot and not have to use my steamer insert at all.

[lindbeck25]

My easy and cheap way to keep crabs out of the water is beer(soda) cans. Grab the can on the top and bottom, dent in with you thumb and middle finger and twist and crush until its the right size(about half curshed should be fine. Depending on the size of the cooker, two, three or four will be fine, leave a little beer in them for flavor. Place a peice of mesh on top and start adding crabs.