Freezing Whole Crabs before cleaning? Not Steaming! Would Steam after cleaned!

[Tcormany1]

Hello, my name is Tom Cormany and I am from VA, I have one very simple question that I need answered!
It has been discussed before, and I got an answer to a point! But nobody asked this one I don't think!

I pulled my crabs today and got a phone call and had to leave! I didn't have any ice, but I had a freezer! I put them in the freezer anticipating being back in like 10 to 20 minutes later. Well, that turned into almost 2 hours, when I got back to clean them, they were frozen solid, I usually pop the backs off and clean them while they are in a dormant state after being on ice for about 10 minutes before I steam them. Since they went from the water to the freezer and froze? Since I have now cleaned them. Are they ok to steam and eat?

Or does the toxins come out into the meat when they die!? They haven't spoiled, and they are now cleaned ready to steam.

[Crabbin Fever]

Great question ! I would clean 'em and steam 'em. If they taste funny or are mushy don't eat them. Good Luck.

[Tcormany1]

Thank You! I have done some more research! They should be fine they didn't die from being spoiled and start breaking down! They went from the pot to 5 minutes later to the freezer. If  I wasn't going to clean them and steam them with the guts and deadman in them! That wouldn't happen! Spoiled crabs breakdown and can kill other crabs which causes the die off. And I would never steam a dead crab right from the pot. These got flash froze pretty much and then got cleaned! They should be fine, got 10 more from the York River yesterday everything is fine. Eating in 10 minutes!

[indoe]

I have cleaned crabs in the past and froze them. I would use them for soups most of the time. Never had an issue of getting sick from them. Been doing it for years. The meat was not as firm as cooking fresh but was good. Crab is mostly for the flavor.

[SHELLFISH]

I tried fresh freezing crabs one time and it did not work.
I used vacume freezer pak bags. I think the shell punctured the bag but I lost the vacume.
The smell was questionable after three months and I just threw everything out.
The smell wasn't spoilage just like old frozen dried fish.

10 years later I see fresh frozen crabs, not vacume packed, in grocery stores here in Florida.
I never bought any of the frozen crabs.

Maybe short term freezing is OK?

[rdbeard]

 i was given steamed frozen whole crabs by a friend to eat and they were nasty IMHO.

[Crab Shack]

I wouldn't freeze them unless they were cleaned and cooked first.  If I couldn't do that, I'd keep them in a cool dry place with some ice on top of the basket.