How to Pick Crabs – Part 2

Part 2 will cover Accessing the Meat, Extraction, The Claws, The Legs, and Nut Cracker Ending.

Accessing the Meat

The body of a crab has plenty of good meat. This is especially true of the Maryland Blue Crab. You will find crabmeat inside the cartilage-lined channels on each side of the body. Hold each side firmly and break the body in half to get access.

Extraction

Pull out the meat from the channels. It looks like a maze, and you may have to use a seafood pick to clean out some areas. This effort will be worth it with crabs that have a top shell that is 5 1/2 inches wide or more because the meat will be delicious.

The Claws

First, pull off the bottom part of each claw. Typically, the meat of the inner claw will come out attached to a fin-shaped cartilage in the middle. Simply pinch the meat at the claw’s base and pull it off from the hard middle.

The Legs

Extraction of the meat inside the legs is best done by breaking the joints backward. Similar to the claw, the leg meat will be attached to some cartilage. The meat can be easily pulled off from this. Leg meat extraction may not be worth it for small crabs.

Nut Cracker Ending

The last part of crab picking will have you cracking hard-shelled claws and knuckles. Now you might look forward to this because there are some who love the flavor of the crab’s knuckle meat.

When cracking, be careful to apply only the pressure required. Applying pressure gradually and gently will yield more meat that is still in one delicious piece. Aggressive cracking may result in broken shell fragments being squeezed into the meat. These pieces will have to be pulled out before you can eat the meat.

Prep for Your Crab Feast Here: The Crab Shack Menus for Crofton and Edgewater.

Craving Crab?

Lovers of fat, juicy crab and amazing seafood don’t have to drive to Baltimore, Ocean City, Hooper’s Island, or Annapolis anymore. Stay close to home and enjoy wonderful deliciousness all year round at our two new locations in Maryland!

• The Crab Shack – Crofton

• The Crab Shack – Edgewater

Our Crofton branch can accommodate a large party group, so if you are interested in reserving tables, please call (443) 302-2680.