What to do after I cook crab....

[fishon42]

Going crabbing tomorrow at Docksoutfitters there in seaside heights ... gonna go off the dock with the GF for a few hours....

If I manage to put a descent amount of keepers in the cooler, I'll come home, boil them ? then what.... can I freeze them if I dont eat them all ? should I melt some butter and mix with some minced garlic and dip them in there ... should I take the tops of the crabs off first or after? I know I used to pull the shells right off them alive from tip to tip, not sure how they were cooked after... any advice would help me at this point 

Thanks


Fish On

[Wreckfish]

Beer - You need to crack open a cold one before, during and after the cooking of the crab.   Look under the recipe section on this site. I'm sure you can find some help there.

[fishon42]

Wreck - thanks for the help! Oh, the beer won't be a problem, maybe ill crack one open before any are even caught ....

[Hotrod]

I had a friend tell me..  he likes to clean them alive.  Rip the shell off from the back.. hose out the guts and lungs..  Then boil them..  this way you don't have to mess with the mess..

anyone ever do this?

[Andys Delight]

Here's a video, same way as I do it:

[Andys Delight]

Or you could do this:

[Hotrod]

Yea..  That's much better than cooking then cleaning 

[Luna Sea 5]

just grab it live, pull the shell and be done with it.. lol

[fishon42]

Thanks for the help once again, lol Nick yeah I do that sometimes... When its alive ill take the shell right off... Then boil it right after right? I wonder if they'll survive the ride back to wayne...

[ped579]

Put them on ice for the trip...I like old bay in the water adds a little spice to the party.

[Luna Sea 5]

get a steamer.  add 3 cans of beer at the bottom.  But the crabs in the second part, (strainer looking device), sprinkle with old bay.  STEAM till red.  Don't let the crabs sit in the beer.  You want to strictly steam them.  should only take 5 - 10 minutes.

[Capt. Carl]

when i was a kid, we had macaroni( home made linguini) with crab gravy almost every day living in brigantine. each morning i would take my 5 gal bucket and my net and hit the 6 jetties down my beach.
snap the claws off, rip the back off using the points and rinse with water to clean them out.
grandma would let them cook in the home made gravy(spaghetti sauce for you non-italians)for the last hour....it actually sweetens up the sauce.

[Tacklebox Joe]

I had a friend tell me..  he likes to clean them alive.  Rip the shell off from the back.. hose out the guts and lungs..  Then boil them..  this way you don't have to mess with the mess..

anyone ever do this?

[fishon42]

get a steamer.  add 3 cans of beer at the bottom.  But the crabs in the second part, (strainer looking device), sprinkle with old bay.  STEAM till red.  Don't let the crabs sit in the beer.  You want to strictly steam them.  should only take 5 - 10 minutes.

Man that sounds good too.... its either that way, OR, salt-pepper-garlic salt.... parmesan cheese-breadcrubs-extra butta..... hmmmmmm I guess ill find out later .... GF hates waking up early so im NOT leaving Wayne until 9..... how sad is that.