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Old 06-09-2015, 04:39   #46
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Re: Crabs

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Originally Posted by Pelagic View Post
Dungeness crab is the best.

Cleaning is very simple
Dungeness Crabs- How to quickly clean a live crab: http://youtu.be/VSZxBtslk0E
In other words, rip the live crab apart with your bare hands

A little too much violence for this squeamish city boy, methinks . . .
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Old 06-09-2015, 04:42   #47
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Re: Crabs

Pix or it didn't happen!

Please show us your crabs.
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Old 06-09-2015, 05:31   #48
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Re: Crabs

Down this way most folks either drown them in fresh water or as someone else said pop them in the freezer. Some people don't like them put in the freezer and say it ruins the taste.

The old fashioned way is to put them in a large pot with cold water and then turn the temp up. Most people consider it cruel now days and the resultant high pitch screams are not nice.

You can also split the dead crab in half and then pop on an open grill bbq. Never tasted it personally like that but it's becoming more popular. As is eating hot crabs. Traditionally down this way they were eaten cold with dressing and salad.
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Old 06-09-2015, 07:03   #49
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Re: Crabs

Caught 19 legals (5 less than my creel, darnit!) in about two hours today. Threw back over a dozen that were too small, female, etc. Great day! So has anyone tried chili crab with blues?


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Old 06-09-2015, 10:35   #50
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Re: Crabs

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Originally Posted by Dockhead View Post
In other words, rip the live crab apart with your bare hands

A little too much violence for this squeamish city boy, methinks . . .
Versus slowly boiling alive?
At least dismembering in 1 second is quick.....But....As Hilary would say;
What difference does it make?

The real plus is that you are not boiling all the smelly innards in your galley
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Old 06-09-2015, 10:44   #51
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Re: Crabs

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Originally Posted by Cormorant View Post
Pix or it didn't happen!

Please show us your crabs.
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Old 06-09-2015, 10:45   #52
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Re: Crabs

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Originally Posted by Pelagic View Post
Versus slowly boiling alive?
At least dismembering in 1 second is quick.....But....As Hilary would say;
What difference does it make?
To the crab - probably none. But to the squeamish person...

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Cushion me soft . . . . rock me in billowy drowse,
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Old 06-09-2015, 11:11   #53
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Re: Crabs

Erm,

You need to be aware there are minimum sizes for catching fish and crabs in the UK and sadly those two fail. Actually it isn't worth trying to cook them if they are too small as there isn't enough meat to make the work extracting it worth while.

This is worth a read:

http://www.mcsuk.org/downloads/seach...Festival_F.pdf

Note the picture of the Edible crab (sometimes called brown crab), this is what you are after.

https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...mfishsizes.pdf

Now, off the top of my head, the RNLI jetty North Calshot would be a good location. On my first ever dive in 1984, I came across a large lobster there. The pontoons in the Hamble entrance like the one next to the big slip and Sea Start. Hurst Castle or the entrance to Newtown Creek would be worth a go. What your looking for is underwater features as crabs like to hide in holes or under ledges, next to posts etc.

So, sorry I think they are going to have to go back.

Oh, I think I have Samphire growing in the creek at the bottom of the garden, that would make a nice salad to go with crab. Bit too small for harvesting at the moment though.
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Old 06-09-2015, 13:40   #54
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Re: Crabs

If you are using crab traps, you can also bait them with canned fish. A guy I watched in Florida had a can of sardines in oil, punched open in two corners, tied to the center of the trap. Caught a couple but they were small.
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Old 06-09-2015, 14:30   #55
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Re: Crabs

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To the crab - probably none. But to the squeamish person...

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Have the water boiling first. When you throw the crabs in, it's over for them in a second or two.

There are size limits where I live; I think it is 4 inches across the carapace. You can buy a handy-dandy gauge in tackle stores, here.
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Old 06-09-2015, 15:15   #56
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Re: Crabs

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I thought you were asking about CRABS you eat, not crabs the kids play with..
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Old 06-09-2015, 23:51   #57
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Re: Crabs

Dockhead

I've not tried it myself, but some say that steaming in beer adds some good flavors. The ones you show in your pic are two small - no meat on them.

I've heard that dropping them in Vodka for a couple of minute before you cook them alive is great, they get drunk and don't know if they are dying.

If you're out of vodka - you can substitute The Botonist gin (sacrilege).
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Old 07-09-2015, 00:02   #58
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Re: Crabs

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I thought you were asking about CRABS you eat, not crabs the kids play with..
haha!

"Mom, are those crawfish?"
"Yes, honey. But don't tell Uncle Dockhead, he thinks we're having boiled Maine lobsters tonight."
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Old 07-09-2015, 00:03   #59
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Re: Crabs

Here's my beer lobster recipe, haven't tried it with crabs. Big pot over open flame. Melt a stick (or more) of butter. Sauté chopped onions, garlic, and hot peppers if you like the spice. Pour in a couple cans of beer and some quartered new potatoes. Cook the potatoes and steam the lobster on top of the whole mess when the potatoes are close to done. Enjoy the lobsters, and then the broth with a fair bit of hefty bread.
The beer will boil up the sides and get into the lobsters, unlike steaming crab in water. It just makes them more succulent and taste better.


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Old 07-09-2015, 01:48   #60
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Re: Crabs

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pete7 View Post
Erm,

You need to be aware there are minimum sizes for catching fish and crabs in the UK and sadly those two fail. Actually it isn't worth trying to cook them if they are too small as there isn't enough meat to make the work extracting it worth while.

This is worth a read:

http://www.mcsuk.org/downloads/seach...Festival_F.pdf

Note the picture of the Edible crab (sometimes called brown crab), this is what you are after.

https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...mfishsizes.pdf

Now, off the top of my head, the RNLI jetty North Calshot would be a good location. On my first ever dive in 1984, I came across a large lobster there. The pontoons in the Hamble entrance like the one next to the big slip and Sea Start. Hurst Castle or the entrance to Newtown Creek would be worth a go. What your looking for is underwater features as crabs like to hide in holes or under ledges, next to posts etc.

So, sorry I think they are going to have to go back.

Oh, I think I have Samphire growing in the creek at the bottom of the garden, that would make a nice salad to go with crab. Bit too small for harvesting at the moment though.
That was a big soup pot, so they are bigger than they maybe look in that photo. Nevertheless, we did throw them back.

We'll try some of the locations you mention; thanks for the wealth of useful information!!
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