Live Blue Crabs, I have no idea what to do with these. PLEASE HELP!

[Big George's BBQ]

Steam with old bay seasoning until pink in color They are the best One of my favorite meals A dozen with a couple cold beers It does not get much better I like to take a tomato wedge and rub it on the shell to get the seasoning and then eat that Now I have to make myself stop thinking about this

 

[drallan81]

Get a steamer. Fill two inches with water, beer, vinegar (white or cider) and old bay. Wet the crabs in beer and then cover in old bay. Don't be pinched. Steam for 20min (until everything is red). Put on newspaper covered table. Have dull knife, something to hammer with (you probably don't have a crab mallet) and a side of white vinegar. Look for instructions on youtube on how to eat them. Enjoy!

^^
This. I'm from Southern MD. Work in a crab house and these instructions are good enough. Key is STEAM, not BOIL. Old Bay or JO spice. Cider Vinegar (no butter). Don't clean before cooking. Just drop in the steamer (already steaming) and wait, make sure they are alive before cooking. Use a basket or false bottom. Boiled crabs are mushy, flavorless and hard to pick. Any other way is blasphemy (equivalent to crockpot ribs) and might get you shot in some parts (j/k). Get some good corn and saltines.
It is supposed to be messy.

http://www.oldbay.com/Recipes/Crab/Main-Course/OLD-BAY-Steamed-Blue-Crabs
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lT7IrPtfWV0"]How to Steam Blue Crabs Maryland Style - YouTube[/ame]

I don't ice them if you are eating them shortly. Don't store live crabs in fridge or closed cooler. There won't be enough fresh air and they will suffocate. Just put in basket and cover w/ cold damp towel, or leave lid open on cooler.

 

[Pocchampion]

Boiled or steam whole then start pickin and eating. Lump crab meat comes from the body of the crab and is the sweetest tastiest part.

Also Vietnamese style black pepper crab is really good. Lots of black pepper and butter in that dish.

 

[buccaneer]

^^
This. I'm from Southern MD. Work in a crab house and these instructions are good enough. Key is STEAM, not BOIL. Old Bay or JO spice. Cider Vinegar (no butter). Don't clean before cooking. Just drop in the steamer (already steaming) and wait, make sure they are alive before cooking. Use a basket or false bottom. Boiled crabs are mushy, flavorless and hard to pick. Any other way is blasphemy (equivalent to crockpot ribs) and might get you shot in some parts (j/k). Get some good corn and saltines.
It is supposed to be messy.

http://www.oldbay.com/Recipes/Crab/Main-Course/OLD-BAY-Steamed-Blue-Crabs
How to Steam Blue Crabs Maryland Style - YouTube

I don't ice them if you are eating them shortly. Don't store live crabs in fridge or closed cooler. There won't be enough fresh air and they will suffocate. Just put in basket and cover w/ cold damp towel, or leave lid open on cooler.

Best western style post yet. Fats screw over the delicate flavors, acids enhance.. Eat lobster with cheese , butter, and miss out on the ingredient.
Great post!
:thumb:

 

[SeaSalted]

Maryland Style, i.e. Steamed.

I use Old Bay as the base to which I add kosher salt, dry mustard, and black pepper.




These were heavy Jumbo Jimmies

 

[Cook]

Steam, boil, steam, boil, steam, boil.....eh

Got a deep fryer?

 

[roncoinc]

Boilin crabs as bad as boilin lobstah or clams,,BLECH !!!

 

[zippy12]

Those looked great for you location. All I have to do is wander over to the Chesapeake with a chicken neck on a string and I get em fresh. I saw crayfish at my local Asian market had to control myself!!!

 

[rick51]

Get a steamer. Fill two inches with water, beer, vinegar (white or cider) and old bay. Wet the crabs in beer and then cover in old bay. Don't be pinched. Steam for 20min (until everything is red). Put on newspaper covered table. Have dull knife, something to hammer with (you probably don't have a crab mallet) and a side of white vinegar. Look for instructions on youtube on how to eat them. Enjoy!

This is how it's done. I can't even guess how many hundreds I've eaten this way rowing up in Baltimore. Catching my own as a 10 ten old, using a chicken neck and a piece of string from a row boat around the Naval Academy piers. Don't cook the dead ones, not safe IMO.

 

[newtwoq]

^^
This. I'm from Southern MD. Work in a crab house and these instructions are good enough. Key is STEAM, not BOIL. Old Bay or JO spice. Cider Vinegar (no butter). Don't clean before cooking. Just drop in the steamer (already steaming) and wait, make sure they are alive before cooking. Use a basket or false bottom. Boiled crabs are mushy, flavorless and hard to pick. Any other way is blasphemy (equivalent to crockpot ribs) and might get you shot in some parts (j/k). Get some good corn and saltines.
It is supposed to be messy.

http://www.oldbay.com/Recipes/Crab/Main-Course/OLD-BAY-Steamed-Blue-Crabs
How to Steam Blue Crabs Maryland Style - YouTube

I don't ice them if you are eating them shortly. Don't store live crabs in fridge or closed cooler. There won't be enough fresh air and they will suffocate. Just put in basket and cover w/ cold damp towel, or leave lid open on cooler.

"Get a steamer. Fill two inches with water, beer, vinegar (white or cider) and old bay. Wet the crabs in beer and then cover in old bay. Don't be pinched. Steam for 20min (until everything is red). Put on newspaper covered table. Have dull knife, something to hammer with (you probably don't have a crab mallet) and a side of white vinegar. Look for instructions on youtube on how to eat them. Enjoy!"

^ Anyone cooking Blue Crab, listen to these two guys, growing up on the Chesapeake during the summers this is how it's done.

There is nothing like a Blue, y'all can keep your kings etc. I'll pick blues all afternoon with some beer and good friends. Blue crabs aren't a meal, they are an event!

 

[Thingfish]

I'm dyin' here ... need my blue crab fix - STAT!

 

[MisterChrister]

I did end up going back and buying another batch. I cooked up about seven pounds on Friday night as suggested in a steamer with vinegar and beer and Old Bay. I ended up eating all of them except for five! They were on the small side from what I've seen online, but still worth it, especially at the price around here. Thanks everyone for helping me get this done!