What's So Special About Maryland Blue Crabs? (2024)

FAQs

What's So Special About Maryland Blue Crabs? ›

Maryland crabs are the best because of the “mustard” as we call it, that bright yellow liquid, that sweetens the meat of the crab. This is actually the hepatopancreas, a main component of the crab's digestive system that looks like tubes acting as the crabs liver and pancreas.

What makes it so unique, though, is that the climate helps improve the taste and amount of fat located in the crabs. Maryland blue crabs hibernate in the Chesapeake Bay throughout winter, which allows them the luxury of building additional fat reserves that have a distinct look and taste.

The blue crab's shell—called the “carapace”—is a blue to olive green. Shells can reach up to 9 inches across. Blue crab claws are bright blue, and mature females have red tips on their claws too. They have three pairs of walking legs and rear swimming legs that look like paddles.

Blue Crabs are low in calories and fat and packed with protein. A 3oz portion of crab meat has 85 Calories, 1.5g Fat, No carbohydrates, and 17g Protein.

How many crabs to get. A good rule of thumb is about 6-10 Maryland Blue Crabs per person. If you are serving other food, we recommend about a 1/2 dozen crabs per person. A bushel of large crabs will feed 8-10 people.

This delicacy feasts on small fish, clams, snails, eelgrass, and sea lettuce which nourish the Blue Crabs for quite a sweet taste. Of course, 'sweet' here means a briny, ocean flavor with delicately white meat that hints a sweet distinct flavor worth trying.

Taste between the two is abundantly different. Yes, they both boast a crab flavor, but blue crabs offer three distinct meat options. Jumbo, pulls from the back-swimming leg area and exhibits a pristine, clean taste with a salty-sweet flavor and a hint of butter.

The Cost of Catching and Processing Crab Meat

One of the main reasons why crab meat is expensive is due to the high cost of catching and processing the crabs. Crabbing is a labor-intensive process that requires skilled workers to operate specialized equipment such as crab traps and crab pots.

A blue crab's typical lifespan is between three and four years. Blue crabs are not threatened or endangered. However, habitat loss and nutrient loading are some of the larger issues faced by this species.

The answer is yes. It is perfectly safe to consume blue crabs. They have been eaten for centuries with no problem. In fact, there is evidence that Native Americans, Euro-American colonists, and African Americans often feasted on blue crabs.

What is the yellow stuff in Maryland blue crabs? ›

Contrary to popular belief, the "mustard" is not fat, rather it's the crab's hepatopancreas, the organ responsible for filtering impurities from the crab's blood. Although many find its flavor distinct and delicious, it is recommended that you do not eat this since many chemical contaminants concentrate in the organ.

The largest crab recorded from Maryland was a male measuring 9 inches; however bigger crabs (10-11 inches) have been captured in DNR crab surveys.

1) Seafood

Seafood, including shrimp, lobster, crab, clams, octopus, and seaweed, are some of the best foods to eat before bed.

Louisiana now has the world's largest blue-crab fishery. Commercial harvests in the state account for over half of all landings in the Gulf of Mexico.

However, unlike fish, blue crabs can survive out of water for long periods of time-even over 24 hours-as long as their gills are kept moist. When out of water, crabs will seek out dark, cool, moist places to help prevent their gills from drying out and to hide from predators.

The blue crab is among the best types of crab due to its sweetness and quality flavor. Many describe the flavor as rich and buttery. The taste of the claw meat also has a nutty flavor. You can eat the softshells, and the cooked shells turn an orangish-red.

Maloney told 11 News that crabbers aren't catching as many crabs as they have in past years. So, they have to increase prices, which forces retailers to also raise prices.

First is the taste: Maryland crabs will have a much sweeter and buttery taste. Secondly you can look at the color of the mustard which is a darker shade of yellow. Finally, (this one is cheating a bit but) you buy from retailers that are True Blue certified by the state of Maryland.

Blue crabs can be found in a variety of salinities ranging from the high saline waters at the mouth of the bay to the tidal fresh waters of the upper bay and tributaries.