what part of a blue crab do you eat

What Part of a Blue Crab Can You Eat? A Guide to Enjoying This Delicious Crustacean
As a seafood lover living on the East Coast, I’ve been eagerly awaiting blue crab season each year since I was a child. There’s just something special about the sweet, briny flavor and tender meat hidden within the blue crab’s hard outer shell.

But for blue crab newbies, navigating this spiny crustacean can be intimidating. With different sections and textures, it’s not always clear what parts of a blue crab you can and should eat.

As an experienced blue crab cracker, let me walk you through exactly how to eat a blue crab so you can fully enjoy this sustainable seafood. In this guide, I’ll cover:

• An overview of blue crab anatomy so you understand what’s inside
• The most delicious and prized sections of meat
• Parts of the crab to avoid
• Proper cooking and picking techniques
• Useful tools that make eating blue crab easier
• How to tell if your crab is fresh
• Delicious recipes to try

So let’s get cracking on this comprehensive guide to eating blue crab!

An Overview of Blue Crab Anatomy

Before determining which parts to eat, it helps to understand the basic architecture of a blue crab. Here are the key components:

• Claws The crab’s primary means of defense and feeding Each claw contains a small amount of meat

• Walking legs: Blue crabs have 5 pairs of legs for mobility. The rear legs contain some meat.

• Swimmerets: Located under the body, these allow crabs to swim.

• Carapace (top shell): The hard upper shell that covers the body.

• Apron: The folded section on the crab’s abdomen.

• Gills: The breathing apparatus of the crab, located on the sides.

• Internal organs: Includes the digestive system, heart, and reproductive organs.

Now let’s explore the sections that contain the tasty crab meat we’re after!

The Most Prized Meat: Jumbo Lump Crab

The sweetest, largest chunks of meat are known as jumbo lump crab. This premium “white meat” is hand-picked from the swimming legs and body cavity.

Jumbo lump crab has a firm yet tender bite with a delicate, clean crab flavor. It’s perfect for dishes like crab cakes where you want beautiful whole pieces.

Due to its yield and quality, jumbo lump is more expensive than other grades of crab meat. But a little goes a long way, adding richness wherever it’s used.

Backfin Crab: Smaller Lumps of Sweetness

After jumbo lump, backfin is the next highest grade of crab meat. It comes from smaller leg joints and the upper shell.

Backfin contains smaller flakes and pieces compared to jumbo lump. It has a mildly sweeter flavor and offers great versatility for recipes like crab dip.

Claw Crab: Hearty, Satisfying Texture

Don’t overlook the meaty claws! Claw meat has a bit more connective tissue but provides a hearty, robust texture and full crab flavor.

Cracking open claws is also fun, letting you pick out meat with your fingers or a fork. Plus claw meat costs noticeably less than jumbo lump.

Areas to Avoid: The Inedibles

While the shell, guts, and other parts are inedible, here are some specifics:

• Shell: Avoid the hard outer shell, legs, and pincers.

• Gills: Also called “dead man’s fingers”, the gills are not for eating.

• Intestines: The dark stringy material along the back.

• Mouthparts: Discard the eyes, mandibles, and other facial structures.

Proper Cooking and Picking Techniques

To get the most flavor and meat, it’s key to cook and pick crabs properly:

• Steam or boil live crabs for 15-20 minutes until the shell is red. Don’t overcook.

• Let cool before cracking open to prevent burning your fingers.

• Use a mallet, knife, and pick to extract meat from legs, claws, and body.

• Refrigerate fresh crab meat for 4 days max. Freeze for longer storage.

• Avoid boiling or microwaving cooked crab meat, which can toughen it. Gently reheat instead.

Tools for Eating Crab

Arm yourself with the right tools to make crab picking easier:

• Small mallet or hammer for cracking claws and legs

• Metal crab cracker for splitting hard-to-open sections

• Pointed pick or seafood fork for pulling out meat

• Small knife or shears for cutting and trimming

• Bib, wet wipes, and paper towels for cleanup

How to Tell if Your Crab is Fresh

Follow these tips to source fresh-from-the-water blue crabs:

• Look for crabs with a vibrant blue-green color and sea-like aroma. Avoid any ammonia odor.

• Opt for crabs that feel heavy for their size, indicating plentiful meat.

• Make sure the legs move freely and don’t detach when pulled.

Ideally, choose live crabs and cook them the same day for unmatched freshness and flavor.

Delicious Ways to Use Blue Crab Meat

Once you’ve perfected your crab picking skills, here are some stellar ways to eat blue crab meat:

• Classic Maryland crab cakes with jumbo lump

• Creamy crab dip with a medley of lump, claw, and backfin meat

• Simple crab salad with fresh veggies and lemon vinaigrette

• Savory crab soup with corn, potatoes, and Old Bay seasoning

• Buttery crab pasta tossed with linguine and white wine

With this handy guide, you can tackle eating blue crab like a seasoned pro. Just focus on the sweet lump and claw meat, and discard the rest. Before long, you’ll be reaping the rewards of this delicious, sustainable seafood. Now get out there and start cracking!