Storing Crabs

Note to Reader: You don't have to read this section if you don't care if your crabs are not fresh or the crabs you caught go bad in your home.

Storing Crabs During a Crab Catching Trip
Storing Crabs at Home

Storing Crabs During a Crab Catching Trip

There are two ways to store crabs during a trip. The obvious way is of course putting the crabs in a water filled bucket, since the crab species you can catch in the Lower Mainland don't have lungs, so they need water to breathe. However, should you find the method inconvenient, you can just wrap each crab up in some paper towel or old newspaper. This way seem to work pretty well and some have actually said that crabs wrapped in paper can survive longer than crabs storaged with a water bucket. You'll have to find out for yourself whether this is true or not, but it is definitely easier to carry paper than a bucket full of water. Make sure you don't store the crab upside down because they are more likely to die in this orientation.

Back to Top

Storing Crabs at Home

After you get home from your crabbing trip, you should cook and eat your catches as soon as possible. They will have a better taste this way. If you must store the live crabs, you should store them in well-ventilated containers covered with damp cloths or paper towels/newspaper, inside a refrigerator. Don't put the crabs in air-tight containers because they will suffocate. You also shouldn't put the crabs in a container filled with water unless you have an air pump in the container or you change the water all the time. You should not store live crabs for more then a day. That is because they probably will be dead after that time and starting to give off a bad smell. Remember: Seafood give off the worst smells when they rot.
<<Back To
Next>> Prep. for Cooking