Soft Shell Crabs

One of America's favorite seafood delicacies is now back in season. Although all crabs shed their shell to grow, only a few species can be eaten in this stage. The only commercially available soft shell crab is the blue crab.

During it's lifetime blue crabs will shed its hard outer shell an average of 20 times. The crab increases its size by 30% during the shedding and once clean the entire crab is edible. A cleaned crab is considering "dressed"...click the following link to learn how to dress soft shell crab->Cleaning_Soft_Shell_Crab

The 4 basic sizes for soft shells are as follows:

Whales -> 5 1/2 inches plus

Jumbos -> 5-5 1/2 inches

Primes -> 4 1/2 - 5 inches

Hotels -> 4- 4 1/2 inches

Live soft shell crabs need to be properly stored; the best way is cool, moist packaging. Eel grass, wet straw or wet newspaper work best to maintain the moisture content and should be stored at a 50-degree temperature. These crabs can also be dressed and then frozen to enjoy at a later time.

 

Fried Soft Shell Crabs

* 1 cup flour

* 1 tsp seafood seasoning

* 12 soft shell crabs, cleaned

* oil for frying

Mix together flour and seafood seasoning. Dredge crabs in flour mixture to coat. Heat about 1/2 inch cooking oil in skillet to 375 degrees. Turn heat down to medium and add crabs. Cook crabs until browned, about 5 minutes each side.