How to clean live crayfish so they are really clean, and can the tomalley in the head be eaten?

Every year when May comes, crayfish start to hit the market in large quantities everywhere, and many people will specifically buy a few jin to cook at home. However, because the environment where crayfish grow is relatively dirty, cleaning crayfish is a skilled job. So how do you clean live crayfish so they are really clean? Can the tomalley in the head be eaten?

1. Introduction to crayfish:

1. In what season are crayfish available?

Crayfish generally start appearing on the market at the end of April, until they gradually disappear in October. But the peak season for crayfish is June to August, when they are large and plump, and the price is relatively cheap, making it a very suitable time to eat them. In addition, due to the impact of the epidemic this year, crayfish may be a bit cheaper than in previous years; you may be able to buy one jin for around ten yuan or so, and the individuals are very large.

2. Do crayfish have parasites?

Crayfish may contain parasites in their bodies, and most are in the head. A common one is the lung fluke, which parasitizes human lungs and causes symptoms such as fever and cough. Therefore, they must be cooked thoroughly. If eaten raw or half-cooked, it can lead to human infection with lung flukes. Generally, cooking crayfish at above 50 degrees for about 10 minutes makes them safe to eat; usually deep-frying first and then braising cooks them through.

2. How do you clean live crayfish so they are really clean?

Live crayfish are very dirty. Their heads, shells and legs are covered with a lot of mud and debris, and they give off a stench of dirty water. Therefore, when cleaning, you need to clean them one by one to wash them thoroughly. Of course, if you find it troublesome, you can go to a high-end restaurant to eat them, where they are generally washed relatively cleanly. Specifically, you can clean them according to the method below:

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 doing this is to make the crayfish spit out the dirty things in their gills.

Step 2: Take out the crayfish, rinse with clean water for a few minutes, then add an appropriate amount of table salt, pour in water to submerge the crayfish and soak for about a 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 with clean water for a few minutes, then use a brush to scrub the shells and legs, and use scissors to cut off the entire head, or use your hands to remove the entire head. Generally when buying, many vendors will ask whether you want them to help process them. Personally, I suggest not doing so and handling them yourself after going back. After all, if they have not been soaked, the bacteria inside can easily enter the shrimp and breed more bacteria.

Step 4: Find the tail of the shrimp and pull out the middle tail fin. At this point the digestive tract comes out with it. It should be noted that a shrimp that has just had its head removed still has vitality; when removing the digestive tract, be careful to avoid being pinched by the legs. If you have plenty of time, you can put them in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator to freeze 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. The purpose is to allow the crayfish to better absorb the flavor during cooking.

Although cleaning crayfish is a skilled job, cleaning them thoroughly not only makes them tasty to eat, but also makes them cleaner and more hygienic than those in restaurants.

3. Can the yellow stuff in the crayfish head be eaten?

The yellow stuff in the crayfish head should not be eaten. This yellow substance is the tomalley, and its appearance is similar to crab roe, but this is different: it is next to the liver, contains a certain amount of heavy metals, and during cleaning it easily picks up various impurities or bacteria, so it is not suitable to eat.

In addition, besides the tomalley being unsuitable to eat, the entire head, the gills, and the digestive tract of the shrimp also cannot be eaten, so they must be cleaned thoroughly during washing. If they have not been handled, be careful when eating.

Overall, if you want to clean crayfish thoroughly, you can first pour in an appropriate amount of vinegar and salt and soak for about 15 minutes, then soak in salt water for about a day, then remove the head and digestive tract, and that is enough. As for the tomalley, it is not suitable to eat, as it easily carries bacteria, and eating it is not good for the body.