Can you still eat a mud crab if it dies? Proper storage keeps it alive

Around every Qingming Festival, mud crabs start to hit the market in large numbers. At that time, many people buy some to take home to steam or stir-fry, and some people buy a large amount to store and eat. But since mud crabs do not keep well and can only survive about 3-5 days at room temperature, how to store them is a matter of skill, so can you still eat a mud crab if it dies? How do you store it so it will not die?

I. Introduction to the mud crab:

1. Is the mud crab a sea crab or a sea crab?

The mud crab is a sea crab, abundantly produced in warm shallow seas with muddy flats or mud-sand bottoms. It is fairly common along the coasts of Guangdong, Guangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian and Taiwan, China. It is currently especially plentiful in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang area, and it likes to live in burrows during the day and forage around at night.

2. When is the mud crab at its fattest?

Mud crabs are generally at their fattest around the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is also the peak period for mud crabs to mate and lay eggs, so pay attention when buying, to avoid buying mud crabs that have already mated, which would result in a poor taste.

II. Can you still eat a mud crab if it dies?

1. Generally, a mud crab that has just died or a frozen dead mud crab can be eaten, but it must be steamed thoroughly before eating, otherwise it can cause diarrhea or poisoning. However, I personally suggest not eating it. If you feel it is a waste, then remember the lesson for next time and eat it promptly once you buy it.

2. If a mud crab has been dead for some time, do not eat it, because the mud crab is an omnivorous animal that likes to eat dead fish, dead shrimp or the decaying carcasses of other animals, and its body is already infected with many bacteria. If it dies, these bacteria will multiply in large numbers and produce toxins. If a person eats it, symptoms of poisoning such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain will appear, and in severe cases there may be shock, coma and so on, so it is best not to be reluctant to throw it away just because the price was high.

III. How do you store mud crabs so they will not die?

Freshly bought mud crabs can generally survive 3-5 days at room temperature, and at most 5-10 days, but if they are put in the refrigerator or kept in fresh water they will die immediately, so be sure to store them well when you buy them. The specific storage methods are as follows:

Method 1: Store in a holding pond

If you bought a lot of mud crabs, you can build a small holding pond in a cool, well-ventilated place at home, then put some mud and sand at the bottom of the pond and place the mud crabs inside; this way they can be kept for more than a month. If you have a bathtub at home, you can put them in it, add water and feed them small fish and shrimp; this way they can also be kept for about a week, and you do not have to worry about them crawling out.

Method 2: Store in the refrigerator crisper compartment

Tie the legs of the bought mud crabs with string, then put them in the refrigerator crisper compartment, cover with a wet towel, and set the temperature to 5-10 degrees; this way they can be stored for about three days. Each time you want to eat them, just try to pick out the mud crabs that are low in vitality.

Method 3: Store in a plastic bucket

Put the bought mud crabs into a plastic bucket, then add a small amount of water; this way they can be stored for about 5 days. When adding water, never let it cover the mud crabs, to avoid death from lack of oxygen.

Overall, it is best not to eat dead mud crabs, but if they have just died they can be eaten, though they must be steamed thoroughly before eating, to avoid poisoning symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. In addition, bought mud crabs will die before long, so you can keep them in a holding pond, in a bucket or refrigerated in the refrigerator, and this way they can be stored for a few more days.