tryhard Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 Hi folks, Caught some blue swimmers today & want to keep them for Christmas lunch. They are in the fridge at the moment & have prettymuch been on ice since caught. Question is do I cook them & freeze them straight away or cook them & refrigerate? Any one know? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davemmm Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 I've never tried freezing crabs so this response is only a half an answer. If you cook the buggers today and then clean and split them they will last till the 25th but no longer. I reckon three to four days refridgerated is as far as you can go. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.dawg Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 Hi folks, Caught some blue swimmers today & want to keep them for Christmas lunch. They are in the fridge at the moment & have prettymuch been on ice since caught. Question is do I cook them & freeze them straight away or cook them & refrigerate? Any one know? thanks The texture is like toilet paper taste is about the same but the texture makes it crab i would only eat it on the day unless making congee with it A.dawg~~~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alasdair Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 Cook them now. Chuck them in some cold iced water to cool them. Pick them and freeze the flesh. Spread it out on a large flat tray so it freezes quickly. Won't be the same as fresh but its the best you will get for christmas. If they were still alive you can put them in the bottom of the fridge covered in a wet cloth and some seaweed. The cold slows then right down. I have kept lobsters alive like this for over a week, crabs four or five days. hope it helps alasdair Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dreaflym Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 (edited) I heard for mud crab, you stop the crab moving by folding their legs and claw towards their body and wrapping the their legs with rubber band or strings then put them in a box with some threaded paper or wood and then keep them inside the chill room of the fridge, they will go into a hibernating state and you can keep them alive for longer time. Not sure if it will work the same to blue swimmer though. Edited December 22, 2008 by Dreaflym Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arpie Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 (edited) Hi Tryhard Your thread topic mentions the word 'dead'!! If they are dead already & not cooked, I'd be chucking them out! Not worth taking the risk. Crab deteriorates quickly when dead. They should always be cooked 'alive'!! Sounds horrible, I know, but, in seafood shops, you never see dead crabs that haven't already been cooked or, only those that are still alive!! I got really ill once from eating a crab that I caught myself, cooked alive & ate! It was from Pittwater & I don't know why i got crook, but it was horrible & lasted a few days! Haven't eaten them since! Also got ill from a lobster purchased 'freshly cooked' from a Fishing Co-op in NZ ..... never been so ill in my life, within 1hr of eating it! Maybe I am allergic to lobbies & crab?? Cheerio Roberta Edited December 22, 2008 by Roberta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dreamtime Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 If they are dead already & not cooked, I'd be chucking them out! Not worth taking the risk. Crab deteriorates quickly when dead. They should always be cooked 'alive'!! Roberta Totally agree, the last thing you need is food poisoning and dead crab of any kind is a good recipe for that. Cooked live, chilled for 1, maximum 2 days then consumed. Frozen crab loses most of its flavour and the meat has a texture similar to wet cardboard. Only other way would be to purchase live crab and keep them in your live bait tank. If you don't have a live bait tank then any large container (bucket, etc) that will hold water and a cheap battery operated aerator from any aquarium supplies should keep them alive for the few days you require. Hope this helps. Cheers mariner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tryhard Posted December 22, 2008 Author Share Posted December 22, 2008 Well, thanks for all your replies. to be clear, I had kept the crabs on ice from the time caught up to the point of cooking. I was in a bind though, & cooked them all last night. While I note the coments about 'wet cardboard' & 'consistancy of wet tissue' I froze them anyway - thought I prob. had to, to have any chance of keeping them! I will try them & let you all know if I have had any success. I'll give one a try, & if the meat is icky, I might try making a crab bisque ! Dont want to waste them ! Wish me luck Ho Ho Ho Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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