How to Buy and Care for Alaskan King Crabs

Are you trying to buy an Alaskan King Crab? Find out how in this quick post!

Everyone loves crabs, specifically Alaskan King Crabs because of the number of meat that’s stored in their body. And in this guide, we’ll show you how to buy alaskan king crab for sale and how to care for it before cooking.

So let’s begin!

When Should I Buy Alaskan King Crabs

If you’re lucky enough to live in one of the coastal communities, find your local fisherman’s wharf and check for their latest catch. We suggest that you buy from local waters when they are in season. Alternatively, you can check online vendors as they tend to have alaskan king crab for sale.
Any crustaceans, shellfish or lobster marketed live are perishable, and after they’ve left their home, they eat less. And the more they don’t eat, the less meat they’ll have in their shells.

Buy Alaskan King Crabs when they’re in season. Getting them from a trans-continental vendor means that the crabs will be less robust and have less meat. And they’ll cost more instead of buying them locally.

When shopping for crabs, make sure that they are moving, and watch out for those that appear sluggish. As a rule of thumb, the crab meat is ¼ of their total weight. When you hold them in your hand, they should have a heft that indicates that their shell is filled with meat rather one that’s lightweight and only contains the shell.

Also, check out the hygienic environment inside the crab’s holding tank. You don’t want to buy a crab that’s been living in dirty water or has algae in its walls. And check if your tank has aerators for keeping its good oxygen levels as well.

Pick a female crab if possible, because they are meatier and might have some roe. Not every market has had alaskan king crabs for sale, so you should ask your fishmonger to have the best selection possible.

How to Euthanize Alaskan King Crabs

Crabs need to kept alive before they are cooked. This keeps the meat fresh and reduces the chances of it being contaminated with bacteria. And, it keeps them free from toxins that are located inside their digestive organ.

When crabs die, they release a bacteria that’s helps their digestive process. And this bacteria helps it begin the decomposition process. When the bacteria enter the meat, it will start to have a toxic reaction for a short time.

To prevent this, we need to keep the crab alive until we start to cook it. Placing the crab inside boiling water will remove the bacteria before it can harm our bodies. But, if you don’t like the idea of cooking them live, then you can do it in the following manner.

Before you cook, stun the crab by placing them in ice water for a few minutes. Then, you should place it on its back before placing the tip of an ice pick or a knife in the “head.” Do this about an inch under its mouth parts and placed within the center of their stomach flap.

Conclusion

Mainly, there are a lot of alaskan king crab for sale in local markets. If not, you can always check for an online vendor that sell them and send them to your door. Stay tuned in our next part of our series where we teach you multiple ways on how to cook alaskan king crabs!