Frozen softcrabs

[Blueshell Brasil]

Fresh softcrab has been sold with eyes,mouth and abdominal apron to the restaurants.Obviously ,because those crabs should be live yet. In this way,restaurants will "clean" those crabs.
Frozen softcrabs have been sold "clean" or without eyes,mouth and abdominal apron.

Is there any possibility to sell WHOLE frozen softcrab or is it totally unusual?
In other words, softcrab producers don't frozen WHOLE softcrab because the product would get low quality in this way?
Considering that the peelers were in the shedder tables with good water quality (closed shedding system), during 2 or 3 days before molting.

Thanks,
Blueshell

[rdbeard]

I freeze mine whole and live with a vacum seal machine. i clean them after thawing and they are very fresh when thawed. the hard part is to get a good seal with the moisture involved.

[KI Crabber]

I freeze mine whole and live with a vacum seal machine. i clean them after thawing and they are very fresh when thawed. the hard part is to get a good seal with the moisture involved.

I had the same problem. Now, I freeze them first on a cookie sheet then vacuum seal them. Try it, you'll like it!

[ChrisS]

I fill a sandwich bag with water, put the crab in it whole and freeze it.

[Blueshell Brasil]

I freeze mine whole and live with a vacum seal machine. i clean them after thawing and they are very fresh when thawed. the hard part is to get a good seal with the moisture involved.

Thanks for answer!
Then, softcrab producers freeze whole softcrab too.
Two important things are: 1) to get a good seal to keep the moisture involved 2) to freeze only live softcrab (really fresh) if you want to freeze whole softcrab.
Many thanks.

[flounderpounder]

I fill a sandwich bag with water, put the crab in it whole and freeze it.

how many days does that take to thaw out ?    vac and seal takes about 15 mins when put in cold water..

[ChrisS]

It takes about 15 minutes in a bowl of water....but, I only do that for crabs I intend to store for extended times. Immediate crabs I intent to eat in short term, I just wrap.

[esvashoreman]

Clean them first. You wouldnt put a whole deer in the frezer for a year thaw it and eat it would you. Just like any animal the sooner after it dies you clean it the better. I take out the deadman, eyes, and apron, then slice the back open and get the guts out , leaving some of the fat for flavor then wrap um and freeze them. Just had some yesterday and they were just as good as fresh almost ha.

[shedking]

Never saw fat in a fresh molted crab.  Go figure.

[Mr. Breeze]

Clean them first. You wouldnt put a whole deer in the frezer for a year thaw it and eat it would you. Just like any animal the sooner after it dies you clean it the better. I take out the deadman, eyes, and apron, then slice the back open and get the guts out , leaving some of the fat for flavor then wrap um and freeze them. Just had some yesterday and they were just as good as fresh almost ha.

Problem with cleaning them first is that when you cut them, the juice runs out, and with it, alot of the flavor

[captaincrab55]

Problem with cleaning them first is that when you cut them, the juice runs out, and with it, alot of the flavor

  Mr B, I second that!!      It's not like your freezing a dead softie...

[mdjohn]

YEP
 

[Crabpot Man]

I wouldn't be able to sell them cleaned.

[flounderpounder]

Never saw fat in a fresh molted crab.  Go figure.

mmmmm ...fried softshell fat....best part of the crab...the points !!