Cooking crabs

[h2ofowlr]

We pulled our limit of dungeness crab yesterday and prepared to boil.  I have always pulled two 5 gallon buckets of salt water for boiling out of the Puget Sound.  Seems some of our guest last night couldn't fathom using unfiltered water for boiling them.  They asked if using polluted Puget Sound water would make them sick if they ate them.  Me being pretty hungry said probably.  I was able to eat some extra crab after that.

What does everyone else use?  I have tried the fresh water, add salt and seasoning, but a bucket full of salt water and boiling them, just makes them taste way better!

[DoubleJ]

Boil in Puget Sound Water when I can transport it home, steam over fresh water when I can't

[Humptulips]

If I was worried about using PS water I would be more worried about the crab living in it.

[gasman]

I gotta try boiling in salt water, I just steam over fresh water.

[jackmaster]

Buckets of salt water from where ever we get crab, I have eatn alot of crab from the P.S and have always used salt water from there and never got sick, between boiling the water and crab having the best filtering system I dont think you have any worries great technique though to get your share of extra crab, I might have to use that one myself 

[coachcw]

I dont use salt water messy getting home and boiling . I pre clean the crab to keep the foam down . i have never been able to tell the differance once i dunk them in best food mayo !

[Gobble Doc]

We pulled our limit of dungeness crab yesterday and prepared to boil.  I have always pulled two 5 gallon buckets of salt water for boiling out of the Puget Sound.  Seems some of our guest last night couldn't fathom using unfiltered water for boiling them.  They asked if using polluted Puget Sound water would make them sick if they ate them.  Me being pretty hungry said probably.  I was able to eat some extra crab after that.

What does everyone else use?  I have tried the fresh water, add salt and seasoning, but a bucket full of salt water and boiling them, just makes them taste way better!

I used our well water yesterday.  Next time I will try ocean water.   I also like to put the shell back on after cleaning for friends for presentation quality.  Good idea trying puget sound salt water.

[Gobble Doc]

How  many minutes do you steam vs boil?

[DoubleJ]

14 minutes for us.  That's red rock though.  I don't have the benefit of being able to fish for dungies

[plugger]

Salt water and only salt water for me. Hole live crab. 15 min after it reboils

[Special T]

If its outside in the crab cooker its whole in PS water... If its inside its cleaned halved and boiled in fresh water with some seasoning.

[duramax]

Keep the crab alive in live well and use the water from the sound with old bay. We clean them first and only cook the clusters.

[Cap.Silver]

Seems some of our guest last night couldn't fathom using unfiltered water for boiling them.  They asked if using polluted Puget Sound water would make them sick if they ate them.

Easy remedy : get rid of the guests and send the address .I'm sure there will be plenty of us happy with PS water 

[h2ofowlr]

I cleaned first this time and boiled them for 5 minutes.  Turned out great!

[jamesfromseattle]

Steamed in the saltwater is my favorite way of cooking. It may be mental, but I think they taste best if they are cleaned first and any grime on the legs is scrubbed of with a kitchen scrubber.

[elk247]

Keep the crab alive in live well and use the water from the sound with old bay. We clean them first and only cook the clusters.

 

[lokidog]

I cleaned first this time and boiled them for 5 minutes.  Turned out great!

I do 7 minutes.  Boiling for 15 minutes is overcooking IMO.  I usually only cook two at a time in a medium sized pot so it reboils pretty quickly after adding them.  I use fresh water (nothing added) even though I have PS water pretty readily available.  The water has so much algae in it in the summer, I'd rather not add that taste to my crab.

[Limhangerslayer]

I cleaned first this time and boiled them for 5 minutes.  Turned out great!

I do 7 minutes.  Boiling for 15 minutes is overcooking IMO.  I usually only cook two at a time in a medium sized pot so it reboils pretty quickly after adding them.  I use fresh water (nothing added) even though I have PS water pretty readily available.  The water has so much algae in it in the summer, I'd rather not add that taste to my crab.

  water from the sound,  cleaned and cook the halves for 7 minutes.   

[Encore 280]

Two limits = 2, 5 gallon buckets with PS water (not from a marina area) with lids so I don't lose it all on the way home. Bring water w/pickling spices to a boil in stainless cooker and add one limit. Wait til it starts boiling again and cook for 20 min. on a slow boil. When they're done I have 3, 5 gallon buckets of cold water ready to flush them in to stop the cooking then clean and put on ice asap. Dump the used cooking water and start another one for the next limit. I think they taste better cooked whole with juices still in. I've tried it both ways and cooked whole is the way we like it. When it's time to sit down for a meal, tear a leg off and suck the juice out! Oh yeah Maynard!!

[HntnFsh]

We do 10 minutes after  coming back to a boil.  Then immediately  into ice water. 15 minutes seems awfully  long. I can't tell a difference  in what water we use.

[Encore 280]

As long as you can shake the leg meat out in one piece and it's firm then that should be good enough. Shouldn't have to pry it out in pieces. Everyone has their own way of doing it.

[wildmanoutdoors]

One cup salt to one gallon of water equals normal salt water. Clean crab first and add old bay and creole. Mmmmmmm...

[NRA4LIFE]

Boiled in PS water whole.  I have a 4 gallon bucket with a tight fitting lid.  Half for the first 5, half for the last 5.  I like to throw out the used water as it gets kinda nasty.  10 minutes after reboiling.  No other seasonings.  Easy limits this weekend, maybe the best crabbing I've ever seen.

[kenzmad]

To all you folks! Quit adding seasoning to one of the most wonderful eating thing alive! We cook on the beach. Saltwater boil and rinse to cool. Ruined many, many people on crab that thought Red Lobster crab was good.

[Smokepole]

Boiled in PS water whole.  I have a 4 gallon bucket with a tight fitting lid.  Half for the first 5, half for the last 5.  I like to throw out the used water as it gets kinda nasty.  10 minutes after reboiling.  No other seasonings.  Easy limits this weekend, maybe the best crabbing I've ever seen.

  Crabbing has been great.  I was hoping there would be a few left.  They sure are good sized this year. 

[lokidog]

One cup salt to one gallon of water equals normal salt water. Clean crab first and add old bay and creole. Mmmmmmm...

Are you sure?  Have you ever made sea salt by evaporating salt water?  I have.  I get about four six ounce jars of salt from seven gallons of water.  That's only about 3/8 of a cup per gallon.

[wildmanoutdoors]

One cup salt to one gallon of water equals normal salt water. Clean crab first and add old bay and creole. Mmmmmmm...

Are you sure?  Have you ever made sea salt by evaporating salt water?  I have.  I get about four six ounce jars of salt from seven gallons of water.  That's only about 3/8 of a cup per gallon.

I've had your Sea Salt. Very good stuff!

And maybe that is what you end up with. Not gonna argue that.
We use regular table salt when doing our crab. And it comes out perfect just like when you cook it in water from the sound or ocean.

With the family owning a commercial Dungy biz and cooking hundreds of crab all year long for parties and ourselves we really got it down.

Perfect crab every time!

[Smokepole]

I use only 1/8 cup per gallon for boiling just the legs.  Boil for 10 minutes, plenty salty.

[h20hunter]

Love it. We all have our own ways. None wrong!

I clean them in the field. Shells come off, spit 'em and rinse 'em. Once at the dock and loaded last thing I dispose of is the top shells then at home we boil them in plain old tap water with a nice dose ok kosher salt. Boil 'em up and then throw them on ice to stop the process. I love me some fresh cooked and chilled down crab.

[CoryTDF]

Seems to me that I remember something from college oceanography class called biotrophic amplification or some such thing. Meaning that the crab itself would be far more toxic than the water. So that is something to ponder.

We have ALWAYS just used PS water to boil. I went to an elks lodge crab feed here once. They drove to the coast and picked up the crab the same day and brought them back. Cooked in fresh water and packed in ice. It was flavorless and boring. Had to actually dip it in butter. I'm usually a purist and prefer to just eat it without any type of sauce or dressing. 

[Stein]

Bring ocean water to a boil (add extra salt if it is handy, if not don't worry).  Toss in crab, set timer for 12 minutes.  Pull out and eat.

[WAcoueshunter]

I take a clean bucket of saltwater home and boil the cleaned clusters in that.  I used to use rock salt with tap water, but the results were inconsistent based on the number of crab and amount of water.  Perfect every time in my opinion with the real saltwater. 

[WSU]

I just add seasoning salt and/or Old Bay to my well water.  Seems to taste great every time and the exact mix doesn't seem all that important.  Pretty sure it is the crab itself that makes it delicious. 

[erk444]

A little off topic, but which crab do most of you guys prefer? Red rock or dungee? I can only seem to catch female dungees this year, but I've got some huge reds. One chunk of claw meat was as big as a chicken nugget! I usually hate crab, but when caught fresh and cooked right away, it tastes pretty darn good. I've only crabbed in the south sound around Ketron Island and the dungees are few and far in between it seems.

[h2ofowlr]

Dungeness crab all the way. ^^^^^. Twice the meat and better eating.

[The scout]

  much better eating

[HntnFsh]

I think I prefer the meat out of a red rock crab over dungie. But other than the claws it aint hardly worth getting it out of them.

[Ripper]

I use Puget Sound water when I think of it. If not then I use pockleing salt. I salt to taste then add 2 chopped up onions, 10 garlic cloves, 5 celery stalks old bay seasoning, a stock of butter, 8-10  small Yukon gold potatoes. Bring to boil for 10 minutes then add cleaned/halved crabs and bring back to boil for 5 minutes. Add enough ears of corn for everyone eating and boil for 5 more minutes. Drain all the liquid ad dump it all into a huge bowl and eat like kings and queens.

[lokidog]

I think I prefer the meat out of a red rock crab over dungie. But other than the claws it aint hardly worth getting it out of them.

I do too, however the limited amount of meat in the rocks keeps me plugging away on the Dungies.

[pilebuck]

Anybody who ruins crab with garlic or any other seasoning is loco

[Ripper]

Try it before you knock it.

[fisheral87]

I prefer fresh. I think it adds addition flavor when you use saltwater but not everyone is into that.

You cook them whole in saltwater and you get some serious flavor.... I'll pass on that recipe.

Al