The correct way to refrigerate crabs is to choose fresh live crabs, clean and bundle the crabs, choose the appropriate container and temperature, and pay attention to the method of thawing and eating.

1. Choose fresh and live crabs

The prerequisite for freezing and preserving crabs is to choose fresh and live crabs. The characteristics of fresh live crabs are: bright shell color, complete limbs, sensitive response, bright eyes, and mucus on the back. If the crabs are found to have the following conditions, it means they are not fresh or dead and should not be purchased or eaten.

2. Clean and tie the crabs

Rinse the shell and limbs of the crab with clean water, being careful not to break the mucus layer on its back. Use scissors to cut off the spikes and burrs on the crab's claws and toes. Tie the crab's claws and feet tightly with cotton thread or rubber bands, and place it on a flat plate with its back facing down.

3. Choose the appropriate container and temperature

Containers can choose foam boxes, plastic boxes, glass plates and other materials that can isolate external contamination, and lay a layer of wet towel inside Or newspaper. The temperature can be selected according to different types of crabs and the length of storage time.

Generally speaking, river crabs are suitable to be placed in the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator, and the temperature is controlled at 5℃~10℃, and can be stored for 3 to 5 days; sea crabs are suitable to be placed in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator, and the temperature is controlled at - Below 18℃, it can be stored for 1 to 3 months.

4. Pay attention to the thawing and eating methods

Before eating the frozen crabs, you should pay attention to the thawing and eating methods. Avoid excessive temperature differences when thawing, and cook thoroughly before eating. The method of defrosting and eating is as follows:

To defrost, you can take the crabs out of the refrigerator and defrost them naturally at room temperature, or place them in flowing water to defrost them slowly. Do not use hot water or microwave to speed up the defrost. So as not to affect the taste and nutrition.

For consumption, you can boil the thawed crabs in boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes, or steam them in a steamer for 20 to 30 minutes until the shell color turns red, the meat turns white, and the crab roe solidifies. When eating crabs, it is best to add seasonings such as ginger vinegar, mustard, etc. to remove the fishy smell.

Purchasing crabs:

1. Observe the appearance and weight.

First of all, we can judge the freshness of crabs by observing their appearance and weight. Fresh crabs usually have brightly colored shells with a high gloss and no obvious damage or cracks.

At the same time, the outer shell is hard and strong, with no loose feeling. In addition, fresh crabs are relatively heavy, which means they are plump and taste more delicious. Therefore, when you are buying crabs, remember to choose crabs with good appearance and suitable weight. This is the first step to buy fresh and delicious crabs.

2. Smell it and smell the aroma.

In addition to appearance and weight, the sense of smell is also an important basis for judging whether crabs are fresh or not. Fresh crabs usually have a refreshing sea smell, rather than an odor or fishy smell. When you choose a crab, you can bring it close to your nose and use your sense of smell to judge whether there is any peculiar smell. If you smell the fragrant sea smell coming from the crab, it's probably fresh.

However, if you smell a fishy or other unpleasant odor, the crab may not be fresh anymore. Therefore, remember to use your sense of smell to identify the aroma of crabs. This is the second tip for buying fresh and delicious crabs.

3. Touch it and feel the intensity.

In addition to appearance and smell, touch is also one of the important means of selecting fresh crabs. When you choose a crab, you can gently touch the crab's feet and claws to judge its strength and vitality. Fresh crabs usually have legs and claws that are firm and elastic, and the claws of the crab legs can move freely.

On the contrary, stale crab legs and claws will feel loose and have no firmness, and the claws of the crab legs will have limited movement. Therefore, when choosing crabs, remember to use touch to feel the strength and vitality of the crabs. This is the third tip for buying fresh and delicious crabs.