# I have blue crabs. Need answer fast. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 21, 2011, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-blue-crabs-need-answer-fast/597120 "2011-09-21T23:22:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-blue-crabs-need-answer-fast/597120/1 "2011-09-21T23:22:55Z")
I have six dozen live blue crabs. What’s the consensus on freezing them? Will it ruin the meat if I do?? Do I have to cook them first (I’ve read conflicting information)? We usually just boil them with Old Bay, but that’s when we’re working with a dozen; so recipes? Suggestions? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-blue-crabs-need-answer-fast/597120/2 "2011-09-22T00:48:11Z")
Not a good idea to freeze them. Better to steam the whole bushel and bring them over so I can help you consume them. Haha! Seriously… steam and then pick and save the meat for crab cakes and such. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-blue-crabs-need-answer-fast/597120/3 "2011-09-22T00:51:42Z")
King crab legs are frozen, don’t know how blue claw will turn out but there is precedent in the crab family. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-blue-crabs-need-answer-fast/597120/4 "2011-09-22T00:58:36Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > King crab legs are frozen, don’t know how blue claw will turn out but there is precedent in the crab family. Pretty sure they’re cooked and THEN frozen. ---
**Author:** ![turner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@turner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turner)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-blue-crabs-need-answer-fast/597120/5 "2011-09-22T01:50:12Z")
Not sure of the OP’s sex, but given the OP’s name, I just assumed he/she has either been screwing the same women as Jim Kirk or screwing Kirk himself. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-blue-crabs-need-answer-fast/597120/6 "2011-09-22T02:05:54Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > Pretty sure they’re cooked and THEN frozen. They are cooked then flash frozen. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus\_alba](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quercus_alba/32/4061_2.png) [@Quercus\_alba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus_alba)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-blue-crabs-need-answer-fast/597120/7 "2011-09-22T02:43:51Z")
> [@turner](#): > > Not sure of the OP’s sex, but given the OP’s name, I just assumed he/she has either been screwing the same women as Jim Kirk or screwing Kirk himself. Appalled that it took over 2 hours and 5 posts for someone to jump on this interpretation of the subject line. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-blue-crabs-need-answer-fast/597120/8 "2011-09-22T03:18:08Z")
Boil them, then clean them. Freeze the bodies and claws. Pick the meat our at your leisure. My Mom used to do this on a regular basis. ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-blue-crabs-need-answer-fast/597120/9 "2011-09-22T03:23:24Z")
> [@turner](#): > > Not sure of the OP’s sex, but given the OP’s name, I just assumed he/she has either been screwing the same women as Jim Kirk or screwing Kirk himself. Yeah–I was wondering why the OP’s pubic lice were so depressed. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-blue-crabs-need-answer-fast/597120/10 "2011-09-22T04:09:22Z")
> [@Quercus\_alba](#): > > Appalled that it took over 2 hours and 5 posts for someone to jump on this interpretation of the subject line. Maybe it was too easy? **Lukeinva** , feel free. We have more than enough. I ended up boiling them all after I posted this, because it didn’t seem like I’d get answers any time soon and I didn’t want them to go bad. They’re in the refrigerator now and I’ll pack and freeze them tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-blue-crabs-need-answer-fast/597120/11 "2011-09-22T05:31:12Z")
> [@turner](#): > > Not sure of the OP’s sex, but given the OP’s name, I just assumed he/she has either been screwing the same women as Jim Kirk or screwing Kirk himself. Well played, tying in the username.