In the daily meals of Vietnamese people, crab is not only a delicious dish but also contains many nutritional values. However, to keep crab fresh for a long time and ensure quality, mastering how to preserve crab very important. Below are effective methods to help you preserve sea crabs and freshwater crabs in the best condition, thereby creating delicious and nutritious dishes.
How to preserve crab
Sea crabs are often preferred because of their freshness and firmness. To properly preserve sea crabs, we need to pay attention to some factors such as temperature, humidity and storage time.
How to preserve crabs to live long
First, if you buy live crabs, place them in a bucket or box lined with damp cloth to limit dehydration. Make sure the bucket is not too tight so that the crabs can move and breathe comfortably. To preserve live crabs for a long time, keep the temperature around 10-15°C and avoid direct sunlight.
How to preserve live crabs in the refrigerator
If you want to store live crabs in the refrigerator, you should put them in a sealed box with ventilation holes. Before putting them in the refrigerator, wash the crabs and soak them in diluted salt water for about 10 minutes to remove sand and impurities. Then, place the crab box in the bottom shelf of the refrigerator at a temperature not exceeding 5°C. This method helps the crabs live for a few more days.
How to preserve cooked crab in the refrigerator
After cooking, the crab should be completely cooled and then placed in an airtight container. Cooked crab should be kept in the refrigerator at 0-4°C and used within 2-3 days to ensure quality. If you cannot finish eating it all, you can freeze the crab for longer storage.
How to preserve frozen crab
When freezing crabs, clean the crabs first, then blanch them in boiling water to retain flavor and nutrients. After cooling, you can put the crabs in ziplock bags or specialized food containers, making sure there is no air inside. Frozen crabs can be stored for 6 months to 1 year depending on storage conditions.
How to preserve fresh crab for long distance travel
If you need to transport live crabs, place them in a styrofoam box with ice on top and bottom. This will help maintain the right temperature during transport. Check periodically to make sure the ice is still cold and the crabs do not die.
How to preserve field crabs
Field crabs are also a popular dish in Vietnam. Although smaller in size than sea crabs, field crabs still provide no less nutritional value.
How to preserve fresh field crab
For field crabs, you can put the crabs in a plastic box lined with straw or damp newspaper to keep the crabs moist. Keep in a cool place, away from direct sunlight. Fresh field crabs usually last from 1 to 2 days.
How to preserve ground crab
If you have ground crabs for dishes such as crab spring rolls, you should store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Ground crabs can be stored for 2 to 3 days, but leaving them for too long will cause the crabs to dry out and lose quality. You can also freeze ground crabs to keep the ingredients fresh.
How to preserve king crab
King crab is a premium seafood, so proper storage is extremely important. First, if you buy live king crab, follow these methods for storing live crab. If you have already cooked it, keep it in an airtight container and refrigerate or freeze it if not using it right away.
How to preserve fresh crabs in large quantities using cold storage
If you need to store large quantities of fresh crabs, using a cold storage is the optimal choice. Cold storage helps to control stable temperatures and minimize bacterial growth. The two main factors to pay attention to are keeping low humidity and the ideal temperature of -18°C to -20°C to preserve fresh seafood for a long time.
How to choose fresh crab
Choosing fresh crabs also affects their storage ability. When choosing crabs, you should pay attention to some criteria such as:
- Shape: Crabs should be plump and healthy.
- Color: Choose crabs with natural color, no signs of rotting.
- Quality: Press on the crab shell, if the crab is elastic, it is a sign of fresh crab. In addition, you should also buy crab from reliable sources to ensure quality.
Conclude
Know how to preserve crab Proper storage will help you maintain the flavor and quality of the dish. From preserving sea crabs, field crabs to king crabs, each type has its own unique methods. Hopefully the above information will help you have great experiences with crab dishes.
