One thing that wasn't mentioned and a lot of folks don't consider when trying to keep crabs refrigerated is the following. The quality of the crab as far as the freshness, taste, and the sweet crab flavor are compromised the longer they are out of the water regardless of any method used. The sooner you cook that crab the better. Yes you can prolong a crabs life by cooling them but the decomposition process starts shortly after the crabs come out of the water. It's minimal the first 8 to 12 hours but increases exponentially after that. I would much rather cook them immediately and eat them cold vs refrigerating overnight or longer. Sadly very few people are able to experience a "sweet crab" since most places are serving 1 to 3 day old crabs.
Great video, thanks for posting. I used these tips to come up with a scheme to keep a dozen big crabs I caught alive and pinching for 48 hours. I used an old 54qt Igloo cooler and started by adding a layer of ice at the bottom. I built a shelf out of scrap plywood that fits inside the cooler and set it on top of the ice. Then I added a layer of wet burlap on top of the plywood. The ice lasted about 24 hours this way. I left the drain closed to keep the water in to help with the moisture. I added the crabs on top of the wet burlap and gave them a little spritz with the hose so they started out nice and moist. Now for the “innovation.” I took a damp towel and draped it across the top of the cooler but UNDERNEATH the lid. The towel sags in the middle. In that sag I put a cup or two of ice. As that ice melts, it drips down on the crabs and burlap adding to the moisture. I replenished this ice when necessary. I propped the lid open slightly with a thin dowel and used a bungee cord across the top to keep the lid closed. This scheme kept the crabs moist and at 58 degrees.
i use to work with guy who use a refrigerated tuck body to store his crabs worked great - not to much fight in crab when cold - so easy to clean - needed them cold when cleaning 15 bushels - because they love to pinch and they be eyeballing you - that's right put your hand their [ got you good ]
I have used a 5 gallon bucket dipping water from the environment, putting frozen water bottles in for cooling, and a little minnow bucket bubbler aerator for oxygen to keep them alive on the bank in the summer. Any thoughts on this method? The bad thing is that it's a lot of heavy bulky stuff to carry very far.
Have a sac on the bottom with a little ice under and they stayed overnight but they were getting really slow so I put the wet rag over them in a ventilated ice chest and hoping they make it home for hours away. You may have just saved our crab
Thanks for this! I am a Marylander who moved to the Carolinas and the closest crabbing spot is 2hrs away for me. I always fear the crabs dying. I think I can do it now. Get a couple frozen bottles of water, I have a Jeep so I can temp control. I have been here for close to two decades and unless I am at the beaches no crab feasts. But now I am gonna try it. Might as well steam some shrimp too. Boiled is just not the same!
Great video and great tips found this video just in time going crabbing tomorrow Thursday, June 9, 2022 wish me luck guys will be crabbing in Solomons Island md
I soooo want a seafood boil😊 but my heart hurts thinking of them being cooked alive and I can't kill them myself tight before cooking nor clean them while they are alive so I guess I'll just have to keepbwanting it but not having it
I got a baby blue crab, do you think it’ll last? I put it in a small aquarium with a decent amount of water. It been sitting almost lifeless with a few twitches every hours or so. Is it molting?
You have helped me learned to crab so much! Im just starting commercial this year and looking for a way to keep them alive to sell the next day. Your freezer pack under the millk crate in a cooler is a good idea! Your interviews with Bruce led me to meet him at the crab barn and now he knows who I am. He is great. Bought a winder from him and works amazing
I've been going crabbing every week so your info was very helpful but i was wondering when i catch the crabs (its usually over a 4 hour period + drive = 5 hours) should i put them in a dry bucket or put them in a bucket with an inch or two of sea water? I always wondered what was best. Ive been doing it with the water, but is dry better? Thanks in advance.
I caught 2 dozen this morning off my dads dock, kept them alive the whole day with just a brackish water soaked rag in a bushel basket, moved them into a cooler with ice packs at the bottom a towel in between and drove 2 hours back to my moms. Got home 30 minutes ago and only 1 died, use ice packs and they’ll be good for days
Is it cool to leave them in the trap until you accumulate enough for a meal? I have one trap that’s off the dock right next to my boat (we live on it full-time). Like, are they going to fight each other, or just chill and eat and fatten up??? I currently have 3 legal males, but I’d like to wait until I have at least 6.
Very good video! Just curious, how many people steam their crabs with J. O. Seasoning. I'm was raised in Baltimore so Old Bay was used at home. Now, im considering J. O. Seasoning as people swear by it.
When I crabbed as a young fellow, we would often catch more than we could use in a day or two. We learned to place live crabs in a cardboard beer or soft drink flat. Next we dipped newspapers in the same water the crabs came from. We would layer crabs and newspapers, then slip them into the refrigerator. They go into suspended animation. When they thaw, you’ll find most have survived. Use the dead ones for bait.
Your little logo is a blue crab shouldn't that mean you keep the blue crabs instead of using them to catch just normal fish LIKE WOW I LOVE THEM BUT WOW
@@sloppyhaydng3534yes, they are commonly used and known as the best fishing bait on the bay, thr heavy large males are food and the “peeler” females are great bait for rockfish red drum and anything else in the rivers
One thing that wasn't mentioned and a lot of folks don't consider when trying to keep crabs refrigerated is the following. The quality of the crab as far as the freshness, taste, and the sweet crab flavor are compromised the longer they are out of the water regardless of any method used. The sooner you cook that crab the better. Yes you can prolong a crabs life by cooling them but the decomposition process starts shortly after the crabs come out of the water. It's minimal the first 8 to 12 hours but increases exponentially after that. I would much rather cook them immediately and eat them cold vs refrigerating overnight or longer. Sadly very few people are able to experience a "sweet crab" since most places are serving 1 to 3 day old crabs.
good info, thx!
very very good info
@@Dandaman2971 thanks!
Great video, thanks for posting. I used these tips to come up with a scheme to keep a dozen big crabs I caught alive and pinching for 48 hours. I used an old 54qt Igloo cooler and started by adding a layer of ice at the bottom. I built a shelf out of scrap plywood that fits inside the cooler and set it on top of the ice. Then I added a layer of wet burlap on top of the plywood. The ice lasted about 24 hours this way. I left the drain closed to keep the water in to help with the moisture. I added the crabs on top of the wet burlap and gave them a little spritz with the hose so they started out nice and moist. Now for the “innovation.” I took a damp towel and draped it across the top of the cooler but UNDERNEATH the lid. The towel sags in the middle. In that sag I put a cup or two of ice. As that ice melts, it drips down on the crabs and burlap adding to the moisture. I replenished this ice when necessary. I propped the lid open slightly with a thin dowel and used a bungee cord across the top to keep the lid closed. This scheme kept the crabs moist and at 58 degrees.
Can I put them in a cooler and put the cooler in my trunk for a 10hr drive
Did you ever get an answer to this? I went for the first time today, but have a horrible fear of food poisoning 😊
Super awesome tips! Starting up a crabbing company this fall and I heard a few things I didn't know so very helpful!
Also 500th subscriber 😎
i use to work with guy who use a refrigerated tuck body to store his crabs worked great - not to much fight in crab when cold - so easy to clean - needed them cold when cleaning 15 bushels - because they love to pinch and they be eyeballing you - that's right put your hand their [ got you good ]
Hi
I have used a 5 gallon bucket dipping water from the environment, putting frozen water bottles in for cooling, and a little minnow bucket bubbler aerator for oxygen to keep them alive on the bank in the summer. Any thoughts on this method? The bad thing is that it's a lot of heavy bulky stuff to carry very far.
Jst put them in freshwater 😏
I love crabbing! Great tips! I like using frozen bottles of water in my cooler. I'm on board! keep the videos coming!
I put live crabs in freezer for 5hrs is that good or bad to eat now??
I've done it many times with no issues
Have a sac on the bottom with a little ice under and they stayed overnight but they were getting really slow so I put the wet rag over them in a ventilated ice chest and hoping they make it home for hours away. You may have just saved our crab
Thanks for this! I am a Marylander who moved to the Carolinas and the closest crabbing spot is 2hrs away for me. I always fear the crabs dying. I think I can do it now. Get a couple frozen bottles of water, I have a Jeep so I can temp control. I have been here for close to two decades and unless I am at the beaches no crab feasts. But now I am gonna try it. Might as well steam some shrimp too. Boiled is just not the same!
Refrigerator NO ice 🧊
How long can you keep them in the basket you catch them in ? With bait in the trap
Great video and great tips found this video just in time going crabbing tomorrow Thursday, June 9, 2022 wish me luck guys will be crabbing in Solomons Island md
@thetoledos8335 That's great, I just found this video and I'm also going crabbing tomorrow at Solomons Island MD. 😬
thank u i tell people all the time never dunk them back in the water
I soooo want a seafood boil😊 but my heart hurts thinking of them being cooked alive and I can't kill them myself tight before cooking nor clean them while they are alive so I guess I'll just have to keepbwanting it but not having it
I got a baby blue crab, do you think it’ll last? I put it in a small aquarium with a decent amount of water. It been sitting almost lifeless with a few twitches every hours or so. Is it molting?
Anonymous Account did you put fresh water in the tank? If you did then you killed it...
Can I put them in a cooler and put the cooler in my trunk for a 10hr drive
Great channel and great info. Fellow bay UA-camr appreciate the advice and techniques!
Thanks for the tips perfect and straight to the point
Sure would have been nice if he demonstrated the real thing as he explained.
You have helped me learned to crab so much!
Im just starting commercial this year and looking for a way to keep them alive to sell the next day.
Your freezer pack under the millk crate in a cooler is a good idea!
Your interviews with Bruce led me to meet him at the crab barn and now he knows who I am. He is great.
Bought a winder from him and works amazing
Sorry this is canal youtube for precesing blue crab..i so interest to know information about export blue crab
So I'm a merchant sailor we had a pool on the ship we couldn't just throw crabs in there although it's salt water? We need oxygen
The crabs will be fine, plenty of space in pool means plenty of oxygen for crabs. Just don't put them in small cooler or bucket with water
Hi...how to make pack a live blue swim for the air plan
I've been going crabbing every week so your info was very helpful but i was wondering when i catch the crabs (its usually over a 4 hour period + drive = 5 hours) should i put them in a dry bucket or put them in a bucket with an inch or two of sea water? I always wondered what was best. Ive been doing it with the water, but is dry better? Thanks in advance.
I caught 2 dozen this morning off my dads dock, kept them alive the whole day with just a brackish water soaked rag in a bushel basket, moved them into a cooler with ice packs at the bottom a towel in between and drove 2 hours back to my moms. Got home 30 minutes ago and only 1 died, use ice packs and they’ll be good for days
@@LordCowbxyRDR thank you so much for this reply you don't know how much this means
Is it cool to leave them in the trap until you accumulate enough for a meal? I have one trap that’s off the dock right next to my boat (we live on it full-time). Like, are they going to fight each other, or just chill and eat and fatten up??? I currently have 3 legal males, but I’d like to wait until I have at least 6.
Very good video! Just curious, how many people steam their crabs with J. O. Seasoning. I'm was raised in Baltimore so Old Bay was used at home. Now, im considering J. O. Seasoning as people swear by it.
I like how he said moist so many times.
Good news . I did not know ...
repeating repeating
A lot of good I for for people I miss crabbing I need to get back out there
Mumbo Meister I’m in onancock now
Mumbo Meister visiting friends lol
Appreciate this
Great tips ! Thanks for the info 👍
When I crabbed as a young fellow, we would often catch more than we could use in a day or two. We learned to place live crabs in a cardboard beer or soft drink flat. Next we dipped newspapers in the same water the crabs came from. We would layer crabs and newspapers, then slip them into the refrigerator. They go into suspended animation. When they thaw, you’ll find most have survived. Use the dead ones for bait.
I searched up this because I wanted to keep some as a pet, not to cook them! 🤣😊You did a good job though. 🙂
You mean to tell me this channel only has 600 subscribers
Great intel Captain! The frozen bait story is a good one! I have one pretty close to the same!
As always, great info.
Dude you are harming these species they are so cute they are blue and you are using them as bait TO DIE!!!
Your little logo is a blue crab shouldn't that mean you keep the blue crabs instead of using them to catch just normal fish LIKE WOW I LOVE THEM BUT WOW
@@sloppyhaydng3534yes, they are commonly used and known as the best fishing bait on the bay, thr heavy large males are food and the “peeler” females are great bait for rockfish red drum and anything else in the rivers
I'm sure there is some good information here, but fakingly moving the arms or smacking of the lips is too annoying for me.
Some people speak with gestures... whadda you want... a Sargent Friday with arms stiffly at his side?