The Best Canned Crab Meat On The Shelves Is Delightfully Fresh-Tasting

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Here at Tasting Table, we've already let foodies in on our top tips for choosing the best canned crab meat. But, if we were going to shorten the list, we might just say, "Opt for Ocean Legacy." In our ranking of seven canned crab meat brands, the wild-caught, hand-picked, blue swimming crab by Ocean Legacy came out on top.

Canned crab meat is a perhaps-surprisingly versatile ingredient, a shelf-stable protein source for myriad crab recipes and non-traditional dishes alike (crab and corn winter chowder, anyone?). Plus, since canned crab meat typically comes fully pre-cooked, the ingredient is even more convenient to use. Although when it comes to Ocean Legacy canned crab, our main cooking advice would be to avoid overdoing it in the kitchen. As we mentioned in our review, "As amazing as this crab meat would be in dips, soups, and salads, you shouldn't mask its flavor; It's delicious enough to eat all by itself."

Ocean Legacy's crab meat boasts a bright flavor and toothy, like-the-real-deal texture. To our surprise, we were holding forks instead of crab mallets. As our taste-tester noted, "The meaty lumps of crab were delightfully firm and fresh-tasting. I was thrilled to find such large pieces of crab, considering this is labeled premium crab meat, not jumbo lump crab meat." On the palate, Ocean Legacy happily delivers the "legacy" of the ocean. A subtly sweet brininess makes this meat taste more like something that came from the sea than out of a can.

We also gave Ocean Legacy major points for seafood sustainability. A member of the NFI Crab Council using GFSI (BAP-SPS)-certified production plants, the brand partners with sustainable fisheries across North America to promote ethical industry practices committed to food quality and marine environmental protection. Ocean Legacy even helped establish the first Fishery Improvement Projects for crab fisheries in Mexico.

If we were going to dock points for anything here, it would be availability. Ocean Legacy products can be admittedly tricky to locate. They aren't available for purchase through the brand's official website, and the site doesn't include a store locator feature for finding its products at local retailers. However, some of the brand's other premium crab meat products can be found via Amazon and Sam's Club — and fans are doing the backstroke for these oceanic gems.

Amazon customer reviews rave, "Fresh. The meat was sweet, good value for cost and the quality is good," and "This is delicious. Growing up in Maryland makes for very picky crab lovers, which is why we were pleasantly surprised by the tasty crabmeat from Ocean Legacy. It's not fishy-smelling nor does it have unpronounceable ingredients." Elsewhere online, Sam's Club shoppers agree, writing, "As expected, just crab meat. No weird flavor, just crab meat. Taste[s] just like a crab you'd get at the beach, but without the work and mess."