There are a few
varieties of crab which are sold in the market.
These crabs or crabmeat are sold in various
forms. They are sold live, steamed in the shell
or cooked meat which has been pasteurized.
The Blue Channel
Crab can be found along the east coast, but
they are actually a native of Maryland. Blue
swimming crab is found in Thailand, Vietnam,
China as well as other areas in Asia. Fresh
pasteurized crab meat is sold after taking the
meat from freshly steamed female crabs. There
are several grades of crabmeat. Among them the
most popular are Special, Backfin and Jumbo
Lump. Small pieces of backfin meat comprise
the Special. This meat has pieces of shell which
has to be removed before eating. Backfin has
larger meat from the body of the crab and less
shells. Jumbo Lump is the best form of crab
meat. It contains large lumps of meat and very
little shell.
Pasteurization
means subjecting crabmeat to a special heat
treatment and sealing it in airtight containers
so that it is not spoiled. Pasteurized crabmeat
remains fresh for 6-12 months, if refrigerated
at 33-35 degree Fahrenheit and as long as the
can is not opened. Once the can is opened, the
contents should be used within 3 days. The process
of pasteurization makes the meat 100% bacteria
free. When the crabs reach the processing plant,
they are alive. Here they are cleaned, washed
and eviscerated. The shell is removed, the meat
inspected and it is then pasteurized under a
controlled thermal treatment. This pasteurized
crab meat is used to prepare crab cakes, soufflés,
canapés, salads, appetizers and pizzas,
combined with sauce and mayonnaise.
Another variety
of crab, known as the Snow crab is harvested
from the sub-Antarctic seas of Chile's Twelfth
Region. This crab meat is always pasteurized
and sold. Crabs basically can be divided into
two categories: sSwimming crabs like the Blue
crab and Walking crabs such as the Rock crabs.
The hard shell Atlantic Blue crab is the best.
The hard shells are sold when they grow to 5-7
inches. They are mostly found in summer. Soft
shells are available from May to September during
the molting season. Hard shells are cooked by
boiling and steaming and soft shells are sautéed
and baked.
Another variety,
the Florida Stone Crab's meaty, thick shelled
claws are eaten. The crab is caught one leg
removed and thrown back. The crab can grow back
its leg. These are caught from October to March.
One of the larger
varieties of crab is the Dungeness crab found
in the Pacific coast. Winter and spring are
the seasons for harvesting this crab. The Alaska
King Crab is the largest of all. The meat from
the legs and claws are sold.
The crabmeat
is sweet, firm and flaky. While cooking the
crab one has to be careful because this meat
gets toughened by over cooking.
Pasteurized crab
meat is used in restaurants, as they have an
extended shelf life. This eliminates waste.
There is no dearth of availability all the year
round. The most important bit is that this meat
is shell free. So pasteurized crab meat is a
popular food item and well in demand.
Contact us
at:
Siam
Canadian Foods Co., Ltd.
9th Floor, Suite 283/44, Home Place Office Building.
283 Thonglor 13, Sukhumvit 55
Kongton Nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110,
THAILAND
Call us at +66-2-185-3311
Fax: +66-2-185-3317
Email us at info@siamcanadian.com
