What Is the Difference Between Wild and Farmed Crayfish? Here's How to Clean Them Properly

Crayfish is a common specialty snack in many places. Every summer, many people like to order a plate of crayfish and enjoy it with a little drink, which is very relaxing. However, since crayfish are not clean, especially wild ones, which grow in poor environments, you should be careful when eating them. So what is the difference between wild and farmed crayfish? How do you clean them?

1. Introduction to Wild Crayfish:

1. Where are wild crayfish usually found?

Wild crayfish are usually found among hidden places such as water plants, branches and stone crevices. During the day they mostly hide in deeper water or in hiding places and are rarely active. After the sun sets in the evening they begin to move, mostly gathering along shallow water edges to crawl around foraging or seeking mates. If startled, they quickly flee back into deep water.

2. Can wild crayfish be eaten?

Wild crayfish can be eaten, but it is not recommended, because the waters where wild crayfish live are very poor in quality, and they mostly eat garbage, heavy metals and so on in polluted water. They are also troublesome to clean, and if they are not washed clean, it is very easy to bring pathogens into the human body, posing a great safety risk. So it is not recommended that you eat wild crayfish.

2. What Is the Difference Between Wild and Farmed Crayfish?

Method 1: Look at the appearance. Wild crayfish are uneven in size; most have big heads and small bodies, dirtier belly hairs, and impurities on the head, and may also carry parasites. Their color is brownish red or iron red, and they are relatively small, with thick shells and little meat. Farmed crayfish have a complete shape and even size; the head and body generally each account for 1/2 of the whole body. The belly hairs and claw hairs are clean, the belly is whiter, the color is brighter red, and they are relatively larger, with plump, springy meat.

Method 2: Smell them. Wild crayfish smell of heavy metals or of rot and stench. Farmed crayfish have no smell of decay or heavy metals, but carry a natural fishy water smell, a shrimp-like fishiness.

3. How Do You Clean Wild Crayfish?

Wild crayfish grow in poor environments and contain heavy metals, various kinds of garbage and so on in their bodies, so if you buy wild ones it is recommended not to eat them. But if you only eat a little, you can clean them and eat them. The specific cleaning steps are as follows:

Step 1: First prepare a basin, pour in an appropriate amount of salt and vinegar, then add an appropriate amount of water and stir well, then pour in the crayfish and soak for about 15 minutes. The purpose of this is to make the crayfish spit out the dirt inside their gills.

Step 2: Take out the crayfish, rinse them with clean water for a few minutes, then add an appropriate amount of table salt and pour in water to submerge the crayfish and soak for about one day. The purpose is to make the crayfish spit out the dirt and foreign matter in their bodies.

Step 3: Take out the crayfish, rinse them with clean water for a few minutes, then scrub the shells and legs with a brush, and use scissors to cut off the entire head, or use your hands to pull off the entire head. Generally when buying, many vendors will ask whether you want them to help process the crayfish. I personally suggest not doing so; it is better to take them home and process them yourself. After all, they have not been soaked, so the bacteria inside can easily enter the crayfish and breed more bacteria.

Step 4: Find the tail of the crayfish and pull out the middle tail fin. At this point the digestive tract comes out along with it. Note that a crayfish whose head has just been removed still has life in it, so when removing the digestive tract be careful to avoid being pinched by its legs. If you have plenty of time, you can put them in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator and freeze them overnight, then take them out, remove the middle tail fin, arch the crayfish's back, cut open the shell with a knife or scissors, and take out the digestive tract.

Step 5: Use scissors to cut open the shell from the middle, then rinse it and it is done. The purpose is to let the crayfish absorb flavor better when cooking.

Although cleaning crayfish is a skilled job, once they are cleaned properly they not only taste good, but are also cleaner and more hygienic than those in restaurants.

The above is a detailed introduction to the differences between wild and farmed crayfish and the cleaning steps. I hope it is helpful to everyone.