mushy crabs

[horst3]

I finished my last trip yesterday,  and steamed up my catch only to find that some of the crabs are really mushy.  They were all alive, and I clean before cooking.   I have never run into this before, and was wondering if anyone else has?  Are they still OK to eat?

[jlax27]

I think you didn't steam them hot enough.

[Crabby Captn John]

I think you didn't steam them hot enough.

Or too long

[Crabcruncher]

How long from the time that you cleaned them until the time that you cooked them? I have had the same problem if I try to hold them too long after cleaning.

[horst3]

Cleaned then steamed they were only sitting as long as it took me to clean a full pot.

[HardCrabHarry]

Or the water you were steaming them in boiled up into them. I sometimes have this happen at the bottom of the pot if I try to do a half bushel at a time.

[BJ1fish]

Or the water you were steaming them in boiled up into them. I sometimes have this happen at the bottom of the pot if I try to do a half bushel at a time.

Boiling crabs does not make the meat mushy.

[Labracrabber]

If you hold them in a hot pot too long after cooking they will get mushy on you. Remove them from heat immediately after required cooking time is complete.

[madcrabber1113]

I only had mushy crabs when eating them at an all you can eat place,they were trash crabs not even worth trying to pick them. I attributed it to the quality of the crab as they were thinner than paper shells  That was the one and only time I ever tried an all you can eat crab place though.

[crabbywaters]

If you hold them in a hot pot too long after cooking they will get mushy on you. Remove them from heat immediately after required cooking time is complete.

x2

[KALknowsRAE]

I only had mushy crabs when eating them at an all you can eat place,they were trash crabs not even worth trying to pick them. I attributed it to the quality of the crab as they were thinner than paper shells  That was the one and only time I ever tried an all you can eat crab place though.

They were probably dead long before they were steamed. 

[chicken boots]

my experience has been that, in cases where the crabs are of a lower quality (lighter/less meat) they tend to be wet and/or mushy... increasing cooking time has eliminated that problem for me.
mind you, i steam crabs whole; so, i do not know how this will correlate to "cleaned" crabs.

good luck,
ed

[carlosh]

I know this topic is old, but I found it rather interesting.  I have been boiling crabs for a while now that we live waterfront at the coast.  ALL of the crabs I cook are alive prior to cooking.  I ALWAYS put ice on the crabs to stun them before steaming them.  I let them sit in ice water about 15 minutes.  I can tell they're still alive because there is still some movement.  Recently, I cooked a batch of about 6 crabs.  There was only a single layer of crabs in the pot.  One crab came out mushy.  The claws as well as the body were mushy.  There is no apparent reason why because it was alive prior to cooking and it cooked the same length of time as the others.  I'm convinced that the mushiness is not because the crab was dead prior to cooking, overcooked, or undercooked.  That's a real mystery.

[jack1747]

"Cotton" or "Cooked" Crab Disease

The microsporidium Ameson michaelis, a parasite that invades and destroys cells, causes severe muscle disintegration that results in a condition known as "cotton" crab or "cooked" crab disease. Infected tissue appears opaque (white) while the crab is still alive. Cooked meat is cottony in texture and poorly flavored. The parasite can be transmitted via cannibalism; and since as much as 25 percent of a blue crab's diet is other blue crabs, it is surprising that the parasite is only found at low prevalences (less than one percent, Shields, pers. obs.)

[SHELLFISH]

Jack, Thanks for the answer! I have heard of "mushy or mealy" crab meat over the years and always thought that the crabs had been dead too long before cooking.
Yesterday I caught six crabs and gave four away. I kept two and brought them right home and cooked them up. They were out of the water only about an hour and they were both very lively prior to cooking. After cooking when picking the meat one crab was normal but the other had very white and mealy meat. Interesting!

Some of the shrimp you get down here have what is called "cotton disease" from a pathogen, microbe, fungus or something.

[lostrap]

"Cotton" or "Cooked" Crab Disease

The microsporidium Ameson michaelis, a parasite that invades and destroys cells, causes severe muscle disintegration that results in a condition known as "cotton" crab or "cooked" crab disease. Infected tissue appears opaque (white) while the crab is still alive. Cooked meat is cottony in texture and poorly flavored. The parasite can be transmitted via cannibalism; and since as much as 25 percent of a blue crab's diet is other blue crabs, it is surprising that the parasite is only found at low prevalences (less than one percent, Shields, pers. obs.)

Great Report did you find Eating the Bad Crabs is Harmful or Cause the Runs.   I Steamed up 8 Crabs whole and when I cleaned them for Picking they had a bad Odor and the Gut was dark Gray in color have not had any since from that area Key Port on the Raritan.
Photo is My Crab of Choice for Now

[SHELLFISH]

I did not eat the tainted meat but the next day the white meat had turned a grey in color. I gave it to a feral cat who is always begging. He ate it with no apparent problems

[SHELLFISH]

Since my last post I have caught two more of the tainted crabs. I did eat those two mixed up with good meat in crab cakes. They tasted fine with no ill affects. The gray meat smells and tastes OK. The with the last two the meat was not as gray in color as the first one but was a grayish white in color.

[lostrap]

Since my last post I have caught two more of the tainted crabs. I did eat those two mixed up with good meat in crab cakes. They tasted fine with no ill affects. The gray meat smells and tastes OK. The with the last two the meat was not as gray in color as the first one but was a grayish white in color.

In all DO Respect Why would you knowingly Eat Tainted Crabs,   
                          Why would you mix the Tainted Meat with The so called good meat 
When in doubt throw it Out,
They tasted Fine with NO Ill effects, Report back in a few years and say that, Cancers do not happen over night,
Even you in a past post stated you do not eat Tainted Crabs ( Meat ) 

Photo is of a Tainted Crab Eater with early signs,