How to Pick Crab Meat Like a Pro

Crab is one of the most delicious and coveted types of seafood. But to enjoy those sweet chunks of crab meat you first have to do the work of picking the meat out of the hard crab shell. While it may seem daunting as a beginner, crab picking is a satisfying skill to learn with practice. Here is a comprehensive guide on how to pick crab meat efficiently.

Get the Best Crabs for Picking

To end up with prime crab meat, start by choosing high-quality crabs Here are some tips

• Pick crabs that feel heavy for their size, which indicates they are meaty inside. Light crabs will yield less usable meat.

• Select only live, active crabs. Avoid any that are dead or lethargic.

• For peak sweetness, choose crabs that were caught fresh the same day. This isn’t always possible, but should be a priority when available.

• Opt for crab varieties that are known for plump, tasty meat like blue crabs, Dungeness, and stone crabs.

• Purchase crabs that are 4-6 inches across. Larger crabs tend to be more shell, while smaller crabs produce little meat.

• Figure around 1⁄4 to 1⁄3 pound of crab meat per crab depending on its size.

Starting with the highest quality, freshest crabs is crucial for getting the best experience and quantity of meat when crab picking.

Cook Crabs Correctly Before Picking

Before extracting the meat, you need to cook the crabs properly to make the job easier:

• Boiling is most common. Use a pot with ample water, Old Bay and other seasonings, lemon, garlic, etc. Cook 15-20 minutes until bright red.

• Steaming also works well. Put a couple inches of liquid like wine or beer in a large pot. Steam for about the same time as boiling.

• Grilling over high direct heat is another good option. Flip crabs a couple times until shells redden and blacken slightly, around 10-15 minutes.

• Once cooked, let crabs cool until you can handle them. Chilled crabs are ideal for easier picking.

Proper cooking ensures the meat will release cleanly from the shells, making your job much simpler.

Have the Right Tools for Cracking and Picking

Before you start, have these essential tools ready for efficient meat extraction:

• Crab mallet or small hammer to crack open the hard shells.

• Crab crackers to split legs, claws, and other tight spaces.

• Small knife or pick to dig out the meat.

• Nutcracker for cracking claws and legs.

• Seafood fork for pulling and shredding meat.

• Small bowl to collect the crab meat.

Having the right tools close at hand makes picking much faster and easier.

Pick Through Each Section Methodically

To get all of the meat out, work through every crab section systematically:

1. Remove the top shell.

2. Crack the legs and knuckles.

3. Open up the body cavity.

4. Twist off the claws and extract the claw meat.

5. Scoop out the body meat in chunks.

6. Crack the narrow leg tips for remaining meat.

This order ensures you get all the prime sections first while saving smaller bits for last.

Pull Out Meat in Big Chunks

As you pick, try to remove meat in larger chunks rather than shredding:

• Use picks and skewers to gently ease meat out after cracking each section.

• Avoid shredding by pulling out pieces whole.

• For claws, legs, and body, keep chunks 1 inch or larger.

• Extract lump claw meat in even bigger pieces if possible.

Removing sizable chunks leads to a better looking, higher quality result.

Know What to Keep and Discard

As you pick, be selective about what to keep:

• Always keep snowy white leg, claw, body, and knuckle meat. This is the sweetest premium meat.

• You can keep smaller flakes and shreds for using in dishes rather than serving alone.

• Discard any dark or yellow bits of fat or organs.

• Don’t keep lightweight pieces of shell or cartilage.

Only keeping flaky white chunks results in the best end product. Toss anything that isn’t pure meat.

Check for Remaining Meat Before Discarding Shells

Before throwing out the shells, double check for any last morsels of meat:

• Turn each section over and inspect for leftover chunks.

• Poke into crevices and joints with a pick for hidden bits.

• Further break apart bodies to uncover elusive meat.

• Don’t forget to check the body cavity.

• Visually scan and feel cracked shells for remaining lumps before discarding.

Picking crab takes diligence to extract 100% of the sweet meat, so don’t let any go to waste!

Handle the Picked Meat Properly

Once picked, use or preserve the crab meat properly:

• Keep chilled on ice or refrigerated for immediate use.

• To freeze, first dry and divide the meat, then store in airtight containers for up to 3 months.

• Refrigerate pasteurized crab meat for 5-7 days. Freeze for longer storage.

• Use in appetizers, salads, rolls, dips, soups, casseroles, and more.

With careful storage, you can enjoy your hand-picked crab for multiple meals.

Get Faster at Picking With Practice

It takes practice to pick crabs efficiently, but you’ll improve dramatically with time:

• Spread newspaper or butcher paper down to keep your workspace clean.

• Have quality tools on hand to optimize cracking and pulling meat.

• Pick chilled cooked crabs for easiest removal of meat.

• Try different techniques to find what works best.

• Time yourself picking and try to beat your record. Make it a fun challenge!

• Pick communally with others to learn techniques.

• Watch online instructional videos for tips.

With repetition, you’ll be amazed at how quickly you can extract meat from crabs.

Helpful Tips and Tricks

Here are some additional pointers for easy, effective crab picking:

• Tap claws lightly with the mallet instead of full overhead swings to avoid crushing meat.

• Use a table vice to easily crack shells if you have one.

• Insert a pick in the claw joint hole to remove stubborn claw meat.

• Cut crabs in half lengthwise to scoop body meat from both sides.

• Rinse hands frequently in lemon water to remove residue.

• Take a crab picking class for hands-on instruction from experts.

Satisfaction Guaranteed

While it does require some time and effort, picking your own fresh crab meat is extremely gratifying. Here’s why it’s worth it:

• You get sweet, premium crab meat at its absolute peak quality.

• You control exactly how much shell gets into the meat.

• Picking your own allows you to afford and use top-grade jumbo lump meat.

• It’s satisfying to learn a traditional cooking craft.

So grab some live crabs and tools and get picking! With some practice, you’ll be able to efficiently extract delicious lump crab meat and enjoy the fruits of your labor in no time.