Crabs....

[Skins_Brew]

Since there seems to be a decent amount of people from VA and MD lurking these boards, who here loves to go crabbing? I cannot WAIT to go out and catch some crabs. We usually use the box traps with decent results. My old man uses a trot line sometimes aswell with pretty good results. All I can say is, I cant wait to steam up some Maryland blues! My old man got a small dinghy last year with a 5 hp motor and had great results on the South River. I was deployed last summer, but oh man, I cant wait to get out this year!

Also, whats everyone consensus on the mustard. I for one, am a HUGE fan! Mustard, FTW! :rockin:

 

[ChshreCat]

I love crabbing. When I was a kid we used to go out to the floating piers when the squid were running. We drop crab pots off one side and jig for squid off the other. Go home with a few pounds of squid and our limit on dungeness crab. Nothing beats dungeness.

 

[Skins_Brew]

Nothing beats dungeness.

Except blue crabs!!!



From last year.....

 

[JohnnyO]

I cannot WAIT to go out and catch some crabs. :rockin:

You're sick.

 

[Bernie Brewer]

I cannot WAIT to go out and catch some crabs.

I dearly hope she's worth it....................







Yeah, yeah, I know.........

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

Since there seems to be a decent amount of people from VA and MD lurking these boards, who here loves to go crabbing? I cannot WAIT to go out and catch some crabs. We usually use the box traps with decent results. My old man uses a trot line sometimes aswell with pretty good results. All I can say is, I cant wait to steam up some Maryland blues! My old man got a small dinghy last year with a 5 hp motor and had great results on the South River. I was deployed last summer, but oh man, I cant wait to get out this year!

Also, whats everyone consensus on the mustard. I for one, am a HUGE fan! Mustard, FTW! :rockin:

That's one thing I miss about Vancouver Island. Damn, I really need to move back there.

Never used mustard with crabs before. What do you do with it? Dip? Sauce?

 

[Skins_Brew]

The mustard I speak of is not actually mustard like the condiment. When you pick a blue crab there is this yellow stuff inside the shell that resembles mustard the condiment. It is actually a part of the crabs digestive system. Its quite tasty and best when its gets mixed with a nice big piece of crab meat. Usually, people are 50/50 on eating the mustard.

 

[Fingers]

I live on the edge of the Great Plains, about as far as you can get from the ocean (Hudson's Bay excepted), and my all time favorite food is crab. The 'mustard' is likely the liver that turns into a paté when cooked. I eat the paté.

You guys are killing me.

 

[MikeFlynn74]

Almost as good as King Crab......

 

[llazy_llama]

Almost as good as King Crab......

Which, in turn, is almost as good as Dungeness.

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

Ah. I don't remember anyone eating that part out west, at least in BC.

 

[Fusorfodder]

Raised and still living in MD, and I can't stand blue crabs straight. The taste is just too overwhelmingly crabby for me. Now, I do love me some crab cakes and just about anything else you'd use crabmeat in. What is funny is that SWMBO is from Florida and it baffled me that she had never heard of Old Bay before. Wtf, it's Old Bay!

 

[staffVAJoe]

dude,
never been crabbing but if there is beer involves send me an IM and I am there.

-Stafford, VA Joe

 

[Skins_Brew]

Yea I was reading some other threads on another board about mustard and apparently it tastes like crap in other crabs. Crab mustard is also known as, "Maryland Caviar."

 

[Skins_Brew]

Raised and still living in MD, and I can't stand blue crabs straight. The taste is just too overwhelmingly crabby for me. Now, I do love me some crab cakes and just about anything else you'd use crabmeat in. What is funny is that SWMBO is from Florida and it baffled me that she had never heard of Old Bay before. Wtf, it's Old Bay!

What part of Maryland were you raised? Western? Well, at least you like Old Bay.

 

[GregR]

Which, in turn, is almost as good as Dungeness.

which is almost as good as snow crab.

 

[NJTomatoguy]

Crabbing is my favorite form of relaxation.

also, see avatar.

 

[Moonshae]

I like crabbing, and I like crabs, but I have to say, the smallish ones I always get while catching them myself make for too much work when eating. I'm happier buying the nice big ones by the dozen so I know that there's enough meat to justify the work in opening them up.

 

[Skins_Brew]

Yeaaaaa NJ Tomato guy thats what I am talking about. Whats your take on the mustard? Its an awesome weekend, but I think its a tad too early for crabbing. Maybe in like 2 -3 weeks.

 

[boo boo]

which is almost as good as snow crab.

Not having tasted Blue Crab, I can't say for sure but snow crab has got to be the best eating crab I have ever eaten. And I'll be getting some fresh crab shortly as the season opens here soon.

Last year I got some packaged crab given me.
morepics032.jpg picture by nflder - Photobucket

And you can see Howlingdogbrewer cooking cold water shrimp at last years Big Brew. shrimp picture by nflder - Photobucket

 

[GregR]

man all this crab talk is making me hungry. I think I know what I'm having for dinner.

 

[Skins_Brew]

One of the best things about blue crabs is we usually catch them ourselves. Bay to steamer to table. Even if you buy them at a local seafood market around here chances are they were caught that day or perhaps the day prior. I dont see all you snow crab lovers out there catching them!! Blue Crabs >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> All!

 

[dataz722]

Blue crabs are BY FAR the freshest crabs anyone will eat. Unlike dungeones and king, blues are almost always alive when they go into the steamer. Personally though I think eating them is alot more work than is worth is.

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

We don't have blue crabs where I am from. Dungeness and red rock crabs are what we used to crab for. And they were alive up till boiling point.

The "mustard" you guys talk about eating. You do know that dioxin's in the water get concentrated in there, right?

Never had a blue crab. Anyone wanna ship me some crab meat?

 

[dataz722]

You cant get it canned? I wont eat the mustard just because of how nasty the water is that they come out of.

 

[menschmaschine]

I've had blue crabs once... sort of a must-try down here. I thought it was a lot of work for very little meat. They smelled a lot better than they tasted. Probably all that Old Bay.

I thought it was funny about the mustard. It seems to be sort of a "manly" thing to do to eat it. In fact it is the hepatopancreas (think liver and pancreas in one organ) of the crab and serves the function of filtering it's blood. If I was alive 200 years ago I probably would have eaten the mustard. But now these waters are too polluted. I wouldn't trust it and every now and then a Health Department will issue a warning against eating it.

 

[jmulligan]

Even knowing how baaaaad the "mustard" is for me, I still eat it. I only know one other person (my stepdad) that will eat it; every one else in my family (MDers for life) won't eat it. HWMO mentioned the dioxins thing (probably mercury too), so I have cut back to only eating like 2-5 of them when we do get crabs.

I LOVE the taste of a good one - I think you have to like really stinky cheese, or really strongly flavored foods to appreciate the hepatopancreas.

Chesapeake Bay blues are the BEST crabs.

It's just sad that we probably won't be eating them for too much longer.

 

[Skins_Brew]

It is quite a bit of work for a small amount of meat, but 9 out of 10 times I eat crabs, its usually in a social setting (aka 'Crab Feast') so sitting there for 3 or 4 hours boozing it up with friends isnt a major concern for me.

Give me the mustard! I only eat crabs maybe 5 or 6 (if I am lucky) times a season, so I will take my chances. If it kills me, I will die happy.

 

[Skins_Brew]

The numbers are looking better this year...

Bay survey shows blue crabs rebounding -- baltimoresun.com

...but the problem is certainly not solved. They attribute the higher number this year to the restrictions they had last year.

I was thinking about the mustard thing, and I guess I dont actually pick it out of the shell and eat it. If I see it on the table I will rub some meat in it or if I will see it in the top part of the shell I will rub my finger in it and eat it. This year I will keep my eye open for it in the shell and give it a try before it gets smeared over everything.

My process is to pry the apron off, insert a knife, pry the top off, rip lungs out, then take my butter knife and scrap all the guts out.

Wow, that sounds pretty disgusting, but whatever!

 

[NJTomatoguy]

Yeaaaaa NJ Tomato guy thats what I am talking about. Whats your take on the mustard? Its an awesome weekend, but I think its a tad too early for crabbing. Maybe in like 2 -3 weeks.

They are getting them, but can't imagine they have too much meat in them yet.
Mustard is good.

I went every wed. last summer, only kept what I would use, never a full bushel.
I used to keep more and give some to the old guy across the street, before he passed away.

Day 1. Catch crabs, steam all. usually eat 6 or 8.
Day 2. Pick the rest.
Day 3. Hollow out 2 large tomatoes from the garden. Put a small chunk of butter in the bottom of the tomato. Mix crab meat and just enough Hellmans mayo, and fill up tomato. sprinkle lightly with Old Bay, drizzle with olive oil, bake at 350 for about 15/20 mins. Serve along side of 2 ears of corn from the garden.

Best dinner ever.