Anyone know anything about crabbing?

[Mike L.]

I don’t know why but a few of them lost their claws.  

They do this when they are stressed.

[dave nyberg]

Ok, I just googled “steaming blue crabs”.  Whole bunch of stuff on there. My suggestion is Capital Cookbook”  Under that is Steaming Blue Crabs.  Capital in this arena is Annapolis, Md.  Right on the Chesapeake Bay.  Lots of good restaurants in Annapolis selling steamed crabs.  Some folks also put beer in to the recipe. I never could tell any taste difference.  If you use beer, go cheap.

[dave nyberg]

Yes, I have heard that they are stressed from being kept penned in, but wondered about that.

[lawrence underwood]

We normally keep crabs in an ice chest with wet burlap.

[Anonymous]

They can survive a couple days out of the water.  Keep them in a cool, dark, damp place overnight.  A bushel basket with a wet burlap sack over it will keep them alive pretty well overnight as long as it is kept pretty cool (60-70 degrees or so).  As long as their gills can stay wet they will survive but be sure they cant get into any standing water or they will all die.

Definitely do not cook and eat dead crabs

Edit:  A cooler should work ok.  

This is MUCH easier said than done.

[Author]

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