storing crabmeat

[pop-pop crabr]

 ::)I need some help. I know I can store picked crabmeat for about a week in the fridge,but I remember reading some where that I can heat the meat in a container (pasteurize them) and keep the meat for up to 30 days.

Can anyone shed some light on what the procedure is to do this?

[Steve]

Cook crabs within 1-2 hours after receipt or refrigerate at 45-50ºF. Cook crabs under steam pressure of 15 psig  [250ºF] for 10 minutes until the internal temperature of the centermost crab reaches 240ºF. Air cool crabs to room temperature in the same container in which they were cooked. If not picked within 12 hours, refrigerate crabs at 35-40ºF. Pick crabmeat into cans/jars and seal within 1 hour after picking. Pasteurize in a water bath at 190-192ºF for 110-115 minutes (an internal temperature of 185ºF for 3 min). Cool containers in ice water to an internal can temperature of 90ºF (45 min). Transfer to dry storage at 38ºF or below (Duersch et al., 1981).

See http://seafood.ucdavis.edu/haccp/compendium/Chapt05.htm#Blue crab for more information.