Transporting Crab?

Crabs are inter-tidal so they can hang out outside of the water for a day. The worst thing to do is put them in water without an aerator, they won't get any oxygen.

What type of aerator do you guys use? some type of 12 Volt?

Good topic. Thanks for asking Al.

I have a question. What's the advantage for bringing them home alive vs cooking at the site?  I realize they will be a little fresher brought home alive.

Thanks,
Al


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

When crabs die, they spoil very quickly.  If you have bitter tasting crab, they were probably dead before they were cooked.  It's like they release toxins into the meat, makes it taste bad...

That's why store bought tastes so poor likely near dead and boiling too many in the same water gives that ammonia taste

If you have bitter tasting crab, they were probably dead before they were cooked.  It's like they release toxins into the meat, makes it taste bad...

Or they were overcooked.

-Allen

I have had luck good with burlap (newspaper and kelp) in a bucket or cooler with an ice pack over it. They will last a long time as long as they are cool and moist. That is how we kept them up in Washington state. My buddy got called on duty and couldn't cook his, so he left them on his back portch and they were all still alive and kicking almost 16 hours later when he got off watch. 

Good info here:

http://www.ehow.com/how_8705537_keep-crabs-alive-before-cooking.html?ref=Track2&utm_source=ask

I just cook em all on the beach with ocean water!! Then ice em and drive home. Make a frw calls on the way home to get some buds to grab some brews  efore they come ove and share the crabs that nite. Never had a prob.  And they always taste great.

I use the Frabil aerator while I'm at the beach, then a big 2 airstone aquarium pump plugged into a power inverter for the drive home. They'll stay feisty in the bucket for hours.

I cut the legs and pinchers off, then quarter the crab while it is alive and I am still at the beach.  It is surprising how small a pot you need to cook five crabs without the shell.  In 30 minutes I can clean, cook and pack those bugs for the trip home.  No mess to deal with later. 

Excellent! I was wondering what type of aerator used batteries. It is also nice to leave most of the crab carcass at the beach so you don't have to deal with it at home. Seagulls love that stuff!...recycle

It depends what you are up to, if you are having a party at home it is nice to have live crabs to jump in the hot tub... I guess it depends what you have in mind for the crabs.
 

I had one of these laying around:
http://www.petsolutions.com/C/Aquarium-Air-Pumps/I/Silent-Air-Battery-Pump.aspx?utm_source=pricegrabber&utm_medium=comparison&utm_term=30129045&utm_campaign=pricegrabber
And didn't have any of the right batteries, so just taped the leads on to a 9v. Works fine.