Peeler Crabs

Peeler Crabs Cook Quickly And Make A Great Meal

Peeler Crabs are also known as Blue Crabs. These small crabs are found in the Gulf of Mexico, the western waters of the Atlantic Ocean, and along the Pacific Coast in Central America. The males are called Jimmies and the females are known as Sallies. They may be one of the smaller types of crab, but they are just as tasty. Peeler Crabs cook in about 6 minutes and can be both messy and fun to eat. These are best eaten while donning a wooden mallet to crack the shell and a bib to protect the mallet swinger from getting crab parts all over his/her clothing.

Boiling these crabs in water may be the quickest way to cook them, but they can also be steamed for 8 to 10 minutes. If these are purchased alive, they will need to be cleaned first. Cleaning is achieved by plunging the crabs in boiling water for at least 30 seconds. Upon removing them from the water, each crab will need to be cleaned and rinsed under boiling water. A brush should be used on the area behind the legs and on the underside of the crab. Once they are completely cleaned, then they can be boiled or steamed.

Hunting for Peeler Crabs can be quite the adventure. It is definitely much more exciting then simply buying a bunch of crabs from the local market and taking them home to cook. Crabbing for these blue-tinged crabs takes the right attire and an accessible location. Even though these are usually hunted in an area where the tide is out, the muck can be thick. Wearing rubber boots will help to keep feet warm and dry. A rake is helpful for pushing weeds aside to find peelers and a basket or bag will be needed to put the crabs in once they are found. Many of them hide under rocks along the beach and can be quick to locate.

The easiest way to determine if the crab recently caught is a male or female is by looking at the claws. The females have red tips at the end of their claws, but the males have completely blue claws. To be positive on the sex of the crab, they can then be turned over to have their belly viewed. On the bottom of each crab is an area known as the apron. Mature females have a large, rounded blue apron, immature females have a triangular shaped apron that usually is more of a yellowish color, and males have a narrow blue apron.

Limits on the number of Peeler Crabs that can be collected per person can vary from year to year. The carapace of each crab should be measured to determine if it is the right size. The top portion of the crab's body is called the carapace and this usually has to fall between a minimum of 5 inches across and a maximum of 6 and three-fourths inches across.

Again, it will depend on the year that the harvesting regulations are made, as well as the location of the harvest, but the average catch can be around 50 crabs per day. This can be quite a lot of crabs to catch on one's own.

Adult Blue Crabs can be seen scavenging for food on the waters edge. They will use their front legs to probe the sand for buried oysters and clams. These same two legs can be used to bring the clam or oyster to the surface as well, for a tasty meal. Blue Crabs will also eat fish, both dead ones and live ones, as well as aquatic plants. They have also been known to eat shrimp, organic debris, and even dead Blue Crabs. Other Blue Crabs have been known to make up almost 13 percent of most Blue Crabs' diets.

Besides being eaten by their own kind, Peeler Crabs are also consumed by striped bass, catfish, loggerhead turtles, herons, egrets, American eels, raccoons, diving ducks, bull sharks, and cownose rays. This is a large number of predators seeking out Peeler Crabs, but they aren't the only ones. There are many other predators as well.

Since so many different types of fish like to eat Peeler Crabs, collecting these crabs for bait is as common as eating them. It's best to make a tank to hold the crabs and keep them alive. Creating a salt water tank with a filter and a pump attached to it is best. So, whether Peeler Crabs cook in a pot on the stove or live in a tank for bait, they are very useful little creatures.

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