When it comes to meat, the most important thing is speed! Like most seafood, crab is extremely perishable, and leaving it out at room temperature for even a brief amount of time can invite the growth of harmful bacterium that might compromise the safety of your food. Here are a few tips to help you move your crab quickly from stove to freezer.
Instructions
Freeze Crab Meat
1. If you know you’ll be freezing some of the meat before you cook, clean the crab before boiling or blanching. This will ensure speedy delivery from the hot pot to the freezer. Though it is technically okay to freeze the crab while it is still alive, this method poses an ethical concern for those who believe that shell fish may be sentient beings.
2. Boil, broil, blanch or steam the crabs, whole, cleaned or in pieces.
3. Label the storage container that will hold the or crabs, using indelible ink. Be sure to include the date of storage, as well as the contents and a “eat by” date. Freezer bags are the best choice for freezing crab, as they will help to maintain the moisture content in the meat. In general, properly stored crab remain fresh and edible for up to three months in the freezer.
4. Crab meat should be frozen and stored at -5 to 0 degrees. Make sure that you leave a little air in the bag, as the contents can expand over time.
5. Remove frozen crab meat from the freezer, and cook at ONCE! You can’t re-freeze crab meat, so you might as well eat it all this time. Bon Appetite!
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