Food - Drink
The Simple Way To Check If A Crab Is Meaty
By JEN PENG
Crabs are a favorite of many seafood lovers, and canned crab can’t compare to fresh when it comes to flavor and texture. However, the downside of fresh crab is that you can't tell which crabs have a lot of meat inside unless you know what to look for, so search for these signs and don't wind up with a crab that has little meat.
When you're choosing between different crabs of the same species at a store, ask the staff if you can pick up the crabs and give their shells a squeeze to check how they feel. A brittle shell could be a sign that the crab is immature and contains less meat, while a firm shell and heavy body are both signs of a nice and meaty crab.
When shopping for live crabs, it's also important to never buy a dead crab, even if it seems meatier, and opt instead for a livelier one. To figure out how much crab you should buy, a general rule of thumb is to have 2/3 to 3/4 pound of meat per person — keeping in mind that, for crabs, the meat will only make up around 1/4 of its total weight.