freezing bluecrabs?

[Ieatcrabs]

Hi all,

I live in Montgomery County, Maryland, and have been eating crabs since I was a little kid and am now getting interested in catching and preparing my own Maryland blue crabs.

I've been doing some research and have read some folks talking about how they clean and freeze their blue crabs before throwing them into the pot to steam them.

How is this possible since I always heard that a dead crab is an unedible crab since as soon as the crab dies, it releases nasty stuff that spoils the crabs.  

Therefore I always figured to steam crabs live like they do lobsters.


Thanks

[aa_mar]

I always take the backs off the crab, clean the insides, break in half, and then cook or freeze.

Pan fry as a starter for sause,  steam, etc.  Had frozen crabs for christmas eve dinner.

To me, not knowing how long the crab has been dead is the problem.  Out on a boat for a few hours and finding a few crabs dead, maybe for 2,3 hours, who knows, I'm not taking the chance.  But killed, cleaned and frozen within a small period of time, no problems.

Think about soft shell crabs, they are dressed (killed and cleaned) and frozen all the time.

[NJ Grasshopper]

See the posts for "Commercial Frozen Crabs" for additional information.

[cw4340]

you can pop off shell wash out mustard ect dead men off and freeze ok for crab gravy sauce but they are mushy nothin like fresh      yahoooooooooooo jr meb

[antonio e. castro]

  i am sorry if i ask would you probably have an interest in directing me to some one interested in buying blue crabs thanks

[lil miss crab]

Cooking and freezing taste's ok by me, but I prefer my crab cold

[jumbobluecrab]

freeze the crabs in milk

[cartmancop]

hmmmmmmmm, beer,.... I mean crabs.