# Can you freeze blue crabmeat / how?



## 8 lb test

I was in Pensacola last week. I caught and picked a lot of blue crab. I used my vacum sealer to package and freeze the crab. After thawing out a package, it's good but taste as if it has lost flavor.
What did I do wrong? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.


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## WW2

Did you just thaw it or did you heat it up? If you heat it up it might get back more flavor than just room temp.


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## billin

*Blue crabs*

Just vacuum seal and thaw slowly in the fridge


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## dustyflair

good question


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## Christophi

I freeze whole blue crab claws to moderate success, they never do taste the same though.


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## flappininthebreeze

Freeze the bodies in water. Clean them, halve them, put in a container, milk cartons/jugs work well, cover with water and freeze. If you are catching over several days, you can add more on top, add more water and freeze that. When you thaw, discard the water and treat the body halves like fresh and go from there.


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## jim t

Cook it first, cool on ice, then freeze as quickly as possible. Small vacuum sealed bags would be best.

The "Alaskan King Crab" you get, whether in a restaurant or at a store is pre-cooked and flash frozen.

The Blue Crab meat you buy at Joe Patti's is pre-cooked, though not frozen.

Dead but uncooked Crab goes BAD, very quickly. Lobster too. Unless "flash frozen". Oysters too, though if you harvest them alive and raw, then clean thoroughly, then refrigerate, will last a few days.

We can't "flash freeze" so it's better to pre-cook then freeze quickly.

Jim


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## guam_bomb80

jim t said:


> Cook it first, cool on ice, then freeze as quickly as possible. Small vacuum sealed bags would be best.
> The "Alaskan King Crab" you get, whether in a restaurant or at a store is pre-cooked and flash frozen.
> 
> Jim


Thats good info! If you dont cook before freezing shellfish, you are running the risk of food poisioning. When you go to reheat it either boil in the sealed bag or steam. Steaming seems to be the best way and my personal favorite for blue crab!


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## rocklobster

sorry guys, to come over the top. the ONLY way to freeze blue crab is boil, pick, then seal in milk. water breaks down the protein making the meat mushy. the only way to get GOOD blue crab meat is to store it in protein....i.e. milk and get all of the air out. i learned that in the atchafalaya in the 80s. haven't found a better way to do it.


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## tripleblessing

Plus one one the milk. Whole milk is best.


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## 8 lb test

I let it thaw to room temp / we made crab cakes and they turned out very good


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