Why are crabs cooked alive?
In: Biology
You don’t have too. About half the time I go crabbing we will kill them and discard the unused parts when on the boat. This is my buddies preference, I think they taste better cooked whole.
How to kill and prep fresh caught Dungeness Crab:
To kill them first you literally bash their head/brain/mouth area to kill them then rip their shell off. You need two people or a tool that is basically a board with a triangle sharp edge on the board to help rip the shell off. If using two people take the crab by it’s legs, kill it by smashing it’s brain, then you partner will grab the shell just like removing then when fully cooked whole. You push the legs in toward their underbelly while they pull it off, it’s not as easy than the cooked ones but not hard. Once the shell is off clean and retain in case fish and wildlife is at the docks checking crab sizes. Then remove the lungs, organs, and that gross yellow shit. Rinse and halve by pushing in and pulling apart.
This sounds graphic but it takes about 15 seconds to kill and clean per crab. If you’re alone it’s the same except you bash the brain. Then use the triangle piece on the board to catch the edge of the shell to help pull it off. I prefer the two person method as I think it’s faster and you’re usually crabbing with friends. You also just throw the unused parts out at sea so no garbage runs or smelly cans at home.
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