Expert: Greg Shreenan - 3/21/2008

Question
Hi Greg, I have a question about cooking crab legs.
Wonder why some crab legs feel soft, rubbery and the meat will not come out of the shell?
They are a pain to  eat and it seems like too much work to get the meat out .
Some restaurants do it right and when you snap them in half. the meat just pulls out. What are they doing different or is it the nature of the snow crab legs??
                       Thanks, Jurgen

Answer
Hi Jurgen,

That is a great question.  The answer is that the rubberiness, if I can call it that, comes from being frozen too long.  In a word it's stale or old.

Frozen crab is generally frozen on board the ship after it is caught.  Everything has a shelf life even if it is frozen.  The rubbery texture comes from the breakdown of the cellular structure of the shell because of aging or freezer burn.

I would suggest that you eat crab only at places known for great seafood.  Beware of the "All you can eat at Sizzler" offers.

If you buy it at a store watch for freezer burn and check to make sure there is plenty of glazing or ice around the shell. The color should be bright and it should look bright and fresh.

I hope this helps.  Thanks for allowing me to respond to your great question.

Good luck from your fish guy

Greg