How to Crack A Blue Crab

How to crack a blue crab

I have been eating blue crabs for as long as I can remember. In the Tilley family, it is a HUGE summertime treat to get a bushel of jimmys (another name for a male crab) and sit around a newspaper covered table! No plates needed here!

There is nothing quite like the deliciously rich meat that comes from these bad boys. My mouth waters just thinking about it!

But this tasty reward does require a good deal of effort. Do you know how to crack a blue crab? If not, check out my video and step by step guide below!

How to Crack a Blue Crab:

Step 1: Pull off the legs. If you get meat while your pullin’ thats a bonus! Crack open the ligaments on the legs too, that meat is very flavorful!

…and I know in the video I am piling up my meat but in reality, I dip it in butter and eat it immediately!

Step 2: Use a butter knife to pull open the “tab” on his abdomen. Cut off said tab and scrape off the lungs and push them into your trash pile.

Step 3: Crack the body down the natural middle. Then take one of the side and hold the opening towards you like a hamburger that your going to take a bite of. Squeeze this part together. The cracks from squeezing it should then allow you to open it to reveal the tunnels/cavities of meat. Pull meat out and repeat on other side.

Step 4: I save the claws for last but you could do them sooner. Take your butter knife and hit the shell close to the clap of the claw until you can gently break it open to reveal the meat. Dip it in butter and eat it! But don’t bite all the way through…there is a tricky shell in between the meat!

Now you are probably wondering where to get some jimmy’s of your own! To tell you the truth, we never give up the name of our crab dealer…I MEAN, crab guy πŸ˜‰ . Why? Because then there might not be enough for us! But call your local seafood stands, I bet they can tell you!

Tilley
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12 thoughts on “How to Crack A Blue Crab

  1. Tori

    I have never cracked a crab! To be honest I’m not a huge seafood person, and cracking the shells gives me the heebie jeebies! But I have a ton of friends from Maryland that LOVE crabs (of course) and put Old Bay on everything.

    Tori

    Reply
  2. Kuleigh

    This was so helpful! I’m scared to cook crab and lobster at home because I have no idea what to do with it after it’s boiled. I love your flat lay photo on this post too!

    Reply
  3. the sophia diaries

    Wow, that’s definitely a skill that I gotta learn to master eventually!! Thanks for sharing!!

    Reply

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