Dried Green Crabs

The idea of drying green crabs has been an interest of mine since I started crabbing. I wanted to store the crabs at room temperature instead of freezing for longer shelf life, and not have to rely on electricity or a freezer. The dried crabs can be simmered in water to make a nice broth or sauce. From a recent experiment, I learned that crushing frozen prepared green crabs is less messy. It is best to crush the crabs well. The smaller the bits the faster they will dry. It is very important the crab bits are completely dried to prevent mold growth. After 4 hours at 200 degrees F if your crab bits are not completely dry then bake longer at 200 degrees F. When you are ready to use crush them a little more to extract as much flavor as possible out of them.

Please view How to Prepare Hard-Shell Green Crabs post to process these crabs prior to drying. It is not necessary to remove the roe or the distal pointy legs. The roe will add extra flavor for your broth or stock.

dried green crabs

Dried Green Crabs

Ingredients:

Green crabs, prepared (fresh or frozen), crushed

Method:

Crush the prepared green crabs, spread the crab bits on a cookie pan thinly. Bake at 450 degrees for 30 minutes, then 200 degrees F for 4 hours or until dried. Once cooled store in a glass jar or an airtight container.

Miso Soup

I hope all of you are staying healthy and safe during this coronavirus pandemic. I have been meaning to post a miso soup recipe on this blog but have not had a chance until now. This miso soup is delicious and I contribute this to the savory broth made from no other than the invasive green crabs! If you have green crab stock in the freezer you may use 5-6 cups for this recipe. You may use Simple Green Crab Stock but triple that amount to yield 6 cups. This time I made this broth with just crushed crabs and water. I also discovered that crushing the frozen prepared crabs in a bag with a rock outside is a lot less messy and smelly versus thawed or fresh ones! You may use dried seaweed if you do not have any fresh or frozen. However, start by hydrating a small amount of dried seaweed as they will expand and add more only if needed. Always rinse your dried store-bought seaweed with water before using it.

miso soup

Miso Soup

Ingredients:

About 10 oz of prepared crabs, crushed
6 cups of water
3-3 1/2 Tbsp of miso
16 oz firm tofu, cut into small cubes (size depending on your preference)
3 oz fresh or frozen baby sugar kelp, cleaned and cut into bite-size (about 1-inch pieces)
1-2 scallions, green parts only, chopped

Method:

Simmer crushed crabs in water for about 25-30 minutes. Remove from heat and strain, reserve the broth. Wash the pot or use another clean pot. Add the strained broth in the pot and turn heat up to a simmer. Add miso and dissolve it. After the miso has dissolved add the rest of the ingredients. It will be done once the tofu cubes have been heated through.