The Fish Man Company - Wholesale Division Oyster Man Fisherman's Brother - Retail Division
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The Fish Man Company - Wholesale Division Oyster Man Fisherman's Brother - Retail Division
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Like the shrimp, the crab has many species, some of which you may have heard of, and some of which you may have not. Crabs can live in both fresh and salt water. We will take a look at a few of the more popular ones. The Dungeness crab is native to the shores of the Pacific Ocean from Alaska to California. This crab is named after a fishing town in Washington. Only the male Dungeness crabs are harvested. The meat of the Dungeness crab is so unbelievably sweet that it is too bad that there is more shell than anything else. The Blue crab is native to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. An interesting characteristic of the Blue crab is the way in which we are able to identify its sex. Blue claws identify the male crab, referred to as a "jimmy". Red tips on the claws mean it is a female. An immature female crab is called a "sally" or a "she crab". When the crab enters puberty and becomes sexually mature, she is then referred to as a "sook". It is at this time, when she is newly molted, that her shell is soft, allowing mating to take place. Another name for the Blue crab is"beautiful swimmer" and if you have ever seen one in the water, you can understand why. When the shell is soft, the crab can be eaten whole, shell and all. This only happens from the beginning of April until the end of June. The Stone crab is very unique in that it is a renewable resource. Each crab is declawed and released unharmed. Possibly "unharmed" is incorrect terminology, but they are returned to the bottom of the sea where they will regrow new claws. The claws are rock hard and when cracked, yield sweet and flavorful meat. Anyone who has traveled to Florida and has eaten at one of the many crab shacks has a definite love of Stone crab. The King crab is found in shallow waters off Japan and along the coast of Alaska. The King crab is one of the largest crabs, weighing in at five to seven kilograms. The delicately flavored meat is ivory white with red around the edges. This succulent and tasty meat can be used for any of the standard crab preparations. The Snow or Queen crab is the King crabs Atlantic cousin, usually weighing between two to four kilograms. In order to grow, a crab must periodically shed its shell and grow a new and larger one. Immediately after undergoing this process called molting, the crab’s exterior will be soft. It takes days or even longer for a crabs exposed surface to harden. One can only imagine how vulnerable they are at this time. Imagine walking around Toronto without your clothes – I don’t think so. See you next issue
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For more information, please call (905) 707-8336.
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