# Keeping cleaned uncooked crabs



## qlderj (Sep 1, 2014)

So we all know there are techniques for keeping live crabs, to stay fresh. But how long can we keep a crab cleaned and in the fridge before cooking it - for convenience it is easier to clean in the daylight, cook a few hours later at dinner time (Singapore chilli crab). Once cooked they will keep in the fridge for a few days but we were always taught not to keep them dead if they are not cooked?


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## chefross (May 5, 2010)

Don't know where you are but here in the USA all crab is cooked on the ships that catch them before they come to dry dock and are frozen right then and there.

Wow how cool it would be to have fresh uncooked crab. I envy you.


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## qlderj (Sep 1, 2014)

Yes commercially they are either cooked or shipped live to the restaurant, or fish co-op. Keep them live and they have the potential to die of natural causes, or lose body weight, which is both undesirable. Just wondering if they keep fine when cooked, if there's a reason why they would not keep fine uncooked.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

If you are talking Blue claw, or hard shell  pack in seaweed or damp paper and keep very cold


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## pete (Oct 7, 2001)

What kind of crabs?  I don't know about larger crabs, but smaller ones can be kept for a short period of time, live, without a tank.  They usually come sandwiched between layers of wet seaweed and newspaper to keep them moist and alive, but they don't last long like that only a day or 2.


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## qlderj (Sep 1, 2014)

Qld mud crab, size at least 150mm across the shell. I keep them alive in a bucket, but sometimes it might be more convenient to despatch it in mid afternoon rather than at dinner time when it is dark and inconvenient.


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## eastshores (Oct 23, 2008)

I _think_ you'd be fine to dispatch and clean, then freeze them. When I catch live shrimp the heads are removed and they are frozen submerged in water so there's zero chance for oxidation. They keep for months that way. But maybe crabs are different.

Edit: OK, I guess with crab it's different than shrimp. I'm not finding any information online specifically about how long crab is safe after dispatching a live crab. What information I was able to locate was referring to "ready to eat" crab, as opposed to crab that would be pasteurized as part of the processing.


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## grande (May 14, 2014)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the reasoning behind the live or cooked rule was that crabs become dangerously poisonous in a matter of hours? I would say everything I've heard would recommend not doing it


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

A new Chinese market just opened up here in Salt Lake City, about 3450 South State Street. I stopped in to take a look, they had live lobsters, crabs and geoduck clams in tanks. Not sure what species of crab, I'm not that experienced with them.

mjb.


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