How to store hairy crabs so they keep longer?
Hairy crabs have delicate, tender meat, a delicious flavor, and are also very nutritious. Their protein content is several times higher than that of pork or fish. However, hairy crabs are fresh live aquatic food, and improper storage will cause them to die. Many consumers do not know how to handle hairy crabs bought home that they cannot finish eating. Below, let us take a look at how to store hairy crabs!
Storing hairy crabs in a refrigerator
Everyone knows that hairy crabs are fresh live aquatic products, and their storage time after leaving water is relatively short. Hairy crabs bought in an amount that can be eaten within about three days are relatively simple to store. Choose hairy crabs with strong vitality, tie up the crabs' legs and claws (to reduce their physical exertion), then place them in the refrigerator's cold storage compartment and cover them with a wet towel. Each day when eating, first pick out the ones with weak vitality to eat; hairy crabs with strong vitality can continue to be stored. The way to tell them apart is to lightly touch a hairy crab's eyes with your hand; if the reaction is not sensitive, eat it first.
Storing hairy crabs in a plastic bucket
Choose hairy crabs with strong vitality, and prepare a plastic bucket (or basin) 30-50 cm tall whose inner wall is smooth so they cannot easily escape. Put the hairy crabs inside (they must not be stacked in layers), then add water to half the height of the hairy crabs' bodies (mainly to keep them moist). Do not submerge the hairy crabs completely; if the water is too deep, the crabs will suffocate and die from lack of oxygen. The bucket (or basin) does not need a lid. Check the hairy crabs every day, and promptly eat those with weak vitality. Using this method to store hairy crabs, when the temperature is not high, the hairy crabs can be kept for more than 5 days.
Storing hairy crabs in a temporary holding pool
If you have bought a large number of hairy crabs and cannot finish them in three to five days, the methods above cannot be used for storage. The best approach is to first give up your own bathtub (as a temporary holding pool) for the hairy crabs to enjoy, because the bathtub's walls are smooth and the hairy crabs cannot escape. Then gently pour the hairy crabs into the bathtub and add water until it just covers the hairy crabs. If the hairy crabs stand up their eight legs, they can breathe at the water surface. Depending on the storage time and quantity, feed them a small amount of small fish and shrimp. Storing hairy crabs this way generally allows them to be kept for more than 7 days or longer, and for high-quality hairy crabs the survival rate during storage can reach over 95%. In addition, check the hairy crabs every day, and promptly eat those with weak vitality.
How to keep hairy crabs so they do not easily die
1. Tie the crabs up and place them in the cold storage compartment, preferably the layer for fruit. Spread a dampened towel over the crabs; do not wring it too dry, and do not fold the towel when spreading it. This way they can be kept for a period of time.
2. Keep the crabs in water. If the crabs are too thin or you want to hold and fatten them for a while, you can feed the crabs some sesame or crushed eggs and add some yellow wine, which can fatten them up.
3. Keep them moist; keeping them alive for one or two weeks is not a big problem, just do not soak them in water. Places that raise them usually keep them in cement pools, spraying water every day, and sometimes keep them for one or two months.
Important: If you are not going to eat them right away, please do not wash them with water, otherwise the crabs will die. If the indoor temperature does not exceed 15°C, there is no need to put them in the refrigerator. Under normal circumstances they can be kept for 5-7 days, but if kept too long the crabs will become a bit thinner; eating them within 3 days does not affect the taste.