I started using crabsnares earlier this year. I've caught dungeness crab and rock crabs. Dungeness crab season starts Nov. 2 (officially at midnight) this year, while rock crabs are open year-round.
At home, we like to eat the crab just steamed on the propane stove for about 15 minutes. A couple of times, i cleaned them and then steamed them, but I really think it has more flavor steamed whole and then cleaned.
I tried boiling in salt water, too salty; i guess we're purists.
Just scrub the crabs under water. Use a butter knife to pull the tail thing down and rub that until it pee and poops. put an inch of water in the pot with a little steamer rack. once the water is boiling, put the crabs in and cover. 15 minutes and then pull them out and crack them.
i didn't get any dungeness crab today, but i did get a rock crab. I steamed it and picked the meat out of the shell.... mmmm.. some people say the rock crab is sweeter than dungeness. they tend to run smaller than the dungeness, though.
Looks pretty good !! There are several of us 'snowbirds"that put out crab traps, (from some of the docks / piers) while we are at Dauphin Island. Usually Blue crab is that we get , there.....but our "picking parties" never seem to end up with a very big pile of meat! Too much "tasting" as the "picking" is going on, I guess ???
....if there is melted butter nearby, its an eating party ;D
Brett
i was gonna make chili today...now maybe not!!! Nice!!!
We steam blue swimmer crabs,(blue manner), in water with know salt, its amazing how salty the flesh tastes, cheers Don.