Anyone had a live steamed crabs yet

[oldbay]

Anyone eat any steamed crabs yet this year? We usually wait until the 4th of July to even consider it. But my wife wants to get some sooner. I've seen that the seafood markets are pushing them. Are they any good yet?

[GregGraves]

Don't tell me you eat live crabs? That sounds nutty.

[aeiou]

I'm sure Old Bay was referring to live then steamed as oposed to frozen then steamed. No one really eats a live crab unless they have been drinking to much beer. The way the crab's claws move so fast and pinch would be enough to discourage anyone from trying to eat them live. Our family usually waits until sometime after the 4th of July to have our first crab feast. The prices of crabs are so high now we only get to enjoy them a couple times a year.

[oldbay]

Hey Greg!
The crabs are steamed live to make sure they're alive. A bad crab is a bad scene, so the crab houses around here check each crab to make sure it's alive before cooking it. Just like lobsters are cooked.

[tinker]

Oh I love crabs! Now that you mentione them, I'll probably buy some within the week.

Crab are best cooked live . You can always tell if it was cooked live or not. The flesh is firmer and tastier.

[oldbay]

And they go bad fast. The downside to eating fresh crabs is the mess and the cuts along with the seasoning. I always cut myself on the claws no matter how careful I am. We used to get them by the bushel and steam them ourselves but the price is so high for a bushel now that we get them cooked by the half bushel.

[spiceplace]

Yeah, eating crabs out of the shell is messy. Lots of folks use old newspaper to eat on. But they get wet and soak through, and are messy themselves.

We offer a plastic tablecover for crabs that won't leak through. It comes in a 300 foot roll that's 40" wide. It's good for both homes and businesses. A single roll will last for years at your home.

[oldbay]

My wife wants to go to the beach this weekend, so while we're down there in Ocean City, MD we'll get some of the local crabs and see how good they are. I know the Maryland crab catch has been down, so I wouldn't be surprised to be eating North Carolina crabs. I'll report back on the quality of the crabs. I miss the $20.00 a bushel days. Last year they were $150.00 a bushel.

[GregGraves]

Yeah, let us know oldbay. I don't like getting crabs to early because they're not meaty. If too early in the year, you open up the crab, and find it's empty inside.

GG

[oldbay]

I didn't get to eat crabs while I was away at the beach. I tried talking everyone into getting crabs on the 4th of July, but was overruled and we grilled steaks from Omaha Steaks instead. We don't eat their steaks that often and they are always so tender. I wonder what makes the Ohama Steaks different from prime cuts bought at a grocery store?

Maybe this coming weekend is for crabs ...