Got Crab?

Here we go.  Pressure canning tomorrow.

3 batch test

Big bag fresh picked
Small bag picked frozen
Bag underneath small bag, picked frozen in shell.

The picked frozen shell is lacking in texture.  Hopefully the canning process will revitalize.

Adding a bay leaf per jar for protein structure retention.  It worked with the herring I canned so may as well.

Stay tuned...

That is a lot of crab meat 

Picked a whole crab yesterday to make crab cakes with today  . I feel like I'm starting to master the picking 

I’m interested in how  that turns Eddie…
How long  do u except to keep it in jar?

I to have mastered picking picking😊

Uummm



Scotty

I almost feel now like crab were designed to be pulled apart 

Eddie, Your some kind of saint for picking all that meat for your family. Everything I pick goes right into my mouth 

Eddie, Your some kind of saint for picking all that meat for your family. Everything I pick goes right into my mouth 

Well, I had about a 1/2" of homemade cocktail sauce in a jar and dumped in about 1/4 cup and gobbled with a spoon.
Hard to resist  those thighs or biceps or whatever we call em'...

I’m interested in how  that turns Eddie…
How long  do u except to keep it in jar?

I to have mastered picking picking😊

Uummm



Scotty

Hoping 6 mos.  but would ultimately hope they last indefinitely....

Picked a whole crab yesterday to make crab cakes with today  . I feel like I'm starting to master the picking 

I finally found the video that speaks to me and I kinda addicted to picking crab like a factory laborer... .  I even bought the little crab pick metal tool that has such great shape as opposed to a skewer.  No more scissor involved and I think it's helping my grip strength workout...

I was raised to use a walnut cracker and walnut pick from day one by my Nonno Pietro and Nonna Agostina...LOL

That's exactly it!  My dad gave a full gallon bag of walnut meat recently so I'll candy the heck out it and eat in all in one sitting...

You’ve seen pics before but here they are anyway…

In the strainer is crab that had been brined for 2 minutes in 1 gallon water and I cup salt.  You then wring it out with your hands.

I’m liking the 12oz. cuz when not in use they are drinking jars.  8.5 oz. Meat per jar with 1 Tbls. Lemon juice.  Topped with hot water to 1” from the top.  Running a flat poker down the sides to distribute the water and remove air.

10lbs of pressure for 80 minutes after venting the canner and the weight starts to dance.

Very cool Eddie!  Interested to hear how these turn out!

For picking, I think I have exactly the same pick/cracker that the guy in the video has.  I used to just use the crab claws when I was a kid, haha.  My method is pretty similar to the video too, with a few small changes.  I use the rounded edges of the big flat leg pieces like a seam.  Pinch with fingers to create a crack along the top and bottom edge, and the shell splits right open kinda like a clamshell.  The meat comes out in on big piece, and with some practice it is pretty fast.  For the small joint pieces, I break off the sharp pointy opening edges with my fingers, and then just pick the meat out. 

I spent a little over an hour cleaning the first limit I got this year.  Hoping for favorable weather soon to go practice cleaning crab some more!  Kids are asking for crab mac n cheese... and I am wanting some crab roll sandwiches...

Picked a whole crab yesterday to make crab cakes with today  . I feel like I'm starting to master the picking 

I will stop by to be the judge of that, Al.

As a judge, I must taste the crab product for quality assurance. 

Nice job, Eddie. That's some willpower right there. Picking all that crab and not devouring it before storage.

Update.  One lid of the frozen meat in the shell did not seal.  It helped because I had a chance to taste it.  Certainly edible yet salty.  Texture, still fibrous ish and flavor strong but tasted like crab.  Kinda the way fresh raw salmon tastes vs. cooked salmon.

Haircut break…

Color tinted brown, I’m happy I have many oz. left to play with.  I’ll eliminate the bay leaf and go with a lighter salted brine and certainly consider vinegar as opposed to just salt.

I’m sensing that achieving a somewhat, fresh tasting and texture product is near impossible.  So…we eatum’ fresh, always da bess…

interesting.. every thought of brining and jarring it in olive oil ..sort of like anchovies   ..could make a wicked pasta dish  ..capers ,red peppers....idk

btw and fwiw ..i did get mine yesterday ..lol

Boom!  You got crab?  I very well may luxureeize the fresh meat with olive oil. Thanks for the reminder that I did do a batch of the herring in OO and it was very goo...