#Grilled blue crab how to

How to Keep your Crabs Alive until its Time to Cook Any dead crabs were immediately discarded. When purchasing live crabs make sure that the crabs are…you guessed it, ALIVE!! It was impressive to see the woman grabbing the crabs with tongs and knowing if they were alive just by the feel.Īlmost how a skilled fisherman can tell by the most subtle movement whether they have a fish on the line. I brought a cooler with a bag of ice and picked up a half bushel of medium/large male crabs. Every weekend she’s outside selling beautiful crabs to the experienced crab steamers of the area. We’ve appropriately named her “the crab lady”. If you are a Marylander, just down the road there is more than likely a lady that sells live crabs at least, there is by me.įor $20 a dozen or $110 per half bushel. That also depends on how experienced and serious the crab eaters are because I’ve seen 4 people plow through a bushel of crabs and a case of beer in 2 hours … In case you are wondering, yes, I was one of those people!! Find Your Friendly Neighborhood Crab Lady

#Grilled blue crab full

I normally tell people that a ½ bushel will feed 6-8 people and a full bushel will feed 10-12 people. That said on average you’ll get somewhere in the range of 7 dozen small to medium crabs in a bushel or about 5 dozen medium to large crabs. Honestly, it was really quite simple and I think it’s safe to say we will be doing this more often.Ī bushel is a measurement of volume as opposed to a specific number or weight.

Recently, my brother and I decided to dust off the old crab steamer pot and try our hand at steaming live crabs ourselves.

#Grilled blue crab pro

With just a few ingredients and equipment you’ll be able to steam crabs like a pro and save a ton of money at the same time.Ĭraving Crab? I’ve got more recipes for you! Checkout my Cedar Plank Smoked Crab Cakes, Creamy White Crab Chili, and Chesapeake Crab Butter Sauce Save your Money: Buy Live Crabs and Steam them YourselfĬrabs can cost up to $400 dollars a bushel depending on the size and the availability in my area ( central Maryland) most of the time we get a group together and everyone chips in and brings a side dish. Enjoy!!! Hot to Prepare Steamed Crabs at Home Pour crabs on the table or serve on a tray. Steam crabs for just about 25 minutes until crabs take on bright orange red color. Leave room for ears of corn and still be able to firmly shut the lid. Stack the crabs using tongs in circular layers, season each layer as you stack until the pot is almost full. Fill your crab pot (stock pot) with beer just below the bottom of the insert. Make sure you have plenty of ice.Īdd Beer. Keep your blue crabs cold and on ice until it is time to steam. I recommend 1 bucket of cold beverages, however, you can up that to two as long as you don’t plan on driving.

This is for the king (or queen) of the stock pot while cooking. You are going to need 6 light beers for the steamer pot (yes, we are cooking with these), 2 sticks of melted butter, and 1 bottle of Apple Cider Vinegar.īeer. Wet Ingredients: Aside from having enough water … scratch that, forget the water, make sure you have enough beer. If you substitute, don’t tell me about it. #2 Crab Seasoning and 1 can of Old Bay seasoning. So, the only seasoning you are allowed to throw in your stock pot is16 oz of J.O. Every Marylander knows seasoning matters. This equates to about 3-4 dozen average size crabs. Alright, seafood lover, you are going to need ½ bushel of live blue crabs. Ingredients needed for Steamed Blue CrabĬrab. Most people just call up their local crab house and place an order but why not step up your game and steam your own. The smell of those Chesapeake spices and fresh blue crab is unmistakable. Steamed Crabs are a Maryland staple of Summer. Crab boils aren’t complete without a cold beer.Ĭrab season got you hungry? Check out some other fan favorites like Air Fried Crab Cake Egg Rolls w/ Old Bay Aioli, Maryland Style Smoked Crab Cakes, and Jumbo Lump Crab Burgers! Steamed Blue Crab Recipe Made with live blue crabs, beer, Old Bay Seasoning, melted butter, and more, your mouth is going to be watering before you even get cooking.ĭon’t forget to grab some cold ones before you get started.