How to choose sea crabs
1. The back of a good swimming crab is cyan and hard, and the abdomen is full and thick. You can also carefully observe the crab calves. The legs are hard and difficult to pinch and are the most plump.
2. Look at the abdominal umbilicus. The belly navel of good swimming crabs is generally light red. The more red and the belly button is strong, the plump the crab will be.
3. Look at the crab cover. You can know the fullness of the cream by looking at the crab cap. If there is anything yellowish-red on the tips on both sides of the crab cap, the more it shows, the more yellow it is. This one can only be used on female crabs.
How to identify male and female crabs?
Male crabs are commonly known as "pointed navel", the "cover" on the belly is long and pointed; female crabs are commonly known as "round navel" , the "lid" on the belly is round. Female crabs have paste and are particularly delicious, so female crabs usually sell for more than male crabs.
How to store sea crabs
There is a way to preserve fresh sea crabs that I recommend to everyone: put them in a clean container, mix two broken ones with brown rice Egg, and then sprinkle some black sesame seeds. Pour this mixture into the container to submerge the crab shell, and then cover the mouth of the container with a dark cloth, which should be breathable but not light-proof. This can prolong the survival time of crabs and make the taste of sea crabs fatter and fresher.
If you don’t want to go to such trouble, you can also put the crab directly in a basin with a little shallow water, add a breathable cover, or tie the crab legs, otherwise it will crawl away.
If it is chilled crab, put it in the freezer of the refrigerator and freeze it. It can be stored for about 1-3 months. But be careful not to defrost repeatedly.
The difference between river crabs and sea crabs
Crabs can be divided into two types: river and lake crabs and sea crabs. River and lake crab meat is tender and delicious.
Fresh sea crab shells are blue-grey in color, with intact crab claws and legs, elastic leg joints, and no damage to the shell tips at both ends of the crab.
You should buy live river and lake crabs, buy those with strong vitality. Dead ones cannot be eaten. The characteristics of fresh and energetic crabs: the crab shell is green and shiny, the crab has strong clamping force, the legs reach the frame, the legs are complete and plump (hard but not empty), crawls quickly, and spits continuously with sound.
To buy fresh crabs, you should do "five things" when choosing crabs: first, look at the color; second, look at the individual; third, look at the belly button; fourth, look at the crab hair; fifth, look at the movement. The color of the crab should be green back and white belly, with golden claws and yellow hair; the individual should be large and strong; the navel should protrude outward; the crab legs should be covered with hair; and the movements should be agile and active. Only those that meet these five criteria are good to buy.
Tips for selecting seafood
Scallops
Appearance characteristics:
Belongs to the phylum Mollusca, Scallopidae, genus Scallopus, from May to June It has the highest yield, tender meat, delicious taste and high economic value.
Selection Tips:
Fresh scallops are bright yellow in color, shiny, have no peculiar smell, feel smooth to the touch, and have good elasticity. When purchasing, you can pry a gap and you can see it. Those with yellow seeds inside are fresher; stale shellfish have reduced color or dull luster, have a sour taste, feel sticky, and have poor elasticity.
Sea urchin
Appearance characteristics:
Sea urchin is a kind of echinoderm that grows in the ocean. There are three common types of sea urchins on the market: purple sea urchin, Horse urchin and yellow sea urchin. Different species of sea urchins have obvious seasonality. Purple sea urchin is dominant in summer, and July to October is its most delicious time; horse dung urchin is dominant in April to June; and yellow sea urchin is best eaten from December to April of the following year.
Selection Tips:
In terms of appearance, purple sea urchins are the largest, about the size of an adult’s fist, with an average weight of 150g-200g each, and their spines are long and black. , extremely hard, but the color of the yolk is lighter, yellowish brown. In comparison, the spines of horse gallbladder are relatively short, light brown in color, and flat in size, weighing no more than 150 grams.
Pay attention to three points when selecting:
1. Stinging is the first priority
The thorns are the breathing tools of sea urchins. The strength of sea urchins can be judged by the shape of the thorns. Those with short thorns And dynamic sea urchins are generally more vigorous and fresher.
2. The thorns are short, fat and long.
Sea urchins come in different sizes. It is very easy to choose sea urchins. The ones with short, thick thorns are fatter. On the contrary, the ones with long and thin thorns are definitely thinner.
3. Black is the best
There are about 800 kinds of sea urchins. Usually colorful sea urchins are poisonous and cannot be eaten. Those with light brown color are of average quality. Commonly used purple sea urchins are Black in color, this sea urchin meat is the most delicious.
Flower clam
Appearance characteristics:
Mollusk, also known as flat snail, yellow clam, river clam and flower clam. The shell is shaped like a heart and has a ring pattern. It grows in freshwater soft mud. The meat is edible and the shell can be used as medicine. Flower clams are about 2-2.5 cm in size and are plump in spring and autumn.
Selection Tips:
When purchasing flower clams, you should choose those with light-colored shells, which have more fat and juicy meat, and heavy-colored clams with thick shells and less meat. The shells are small, thin, and oblong in shape. Note that clams and clams are not the same species. The shell of a clam is oval and light brown.