Stone Crab Claws

 

 

Stone crabs are a classic delicacy. They have hefty shells filled with meat, and a tart, lemony sauce made from horseradish, Dijon mustard, and hot sauce. You can crack them open with a butter knife and eat them raw, or prepare them in a special sauce.

 

Stone crabs are harvested from late October through early May. During this time, fishing companies use baited traps to catch them. They are harvested only when the claws are 2 3/4 inches long. After you take them home, you must be sure to return them safely to the water. Claws will regenerate up to three times, so be sure to plan ahead.

 

Before you serve stone crab claws, you must crack the shell. Make sure to crack the shell only partially - do not crush the shell. This could send shards into the meat. Serve stone crab claws with a mustard sauce or a lemon wedge. Whether you choose to crack the claws yourself or hire a fish monger, cracking is essential for the freshness of your seafood.

 

Claws are one of the most expensive parts of stone crabs. Typically, about 40 percent of the stone crab harvest is made of the claws. Claws are often served steamed or boiled, cracked, or with a tangy mustard sauce. These claws are sold at markets. Claws from stone crabs are also a sustainable resource because they can regrow after they have been harvested.

 

Stone crab claws are harvested using baited traps, but recreational fishermen will often catch the creatures by hand. When harvesting stone crabs, make sure to place the traps near cracks and crevices in rocks. The traps should catch up to one gallon of stone crab claws per boat. Once you have harvested the legal size stone crab claws, use a crusher claw to remove the shell without killing the crab.

 

Stone crabs are highly sensitive and are quick to learn and remember new information. If you have accidentally broken a stone crab's claw, you may want to treat it with anesthetics before placing it in a container. Anesthetics help the crabs recover quickly from injuries and are very effective in treating infections.

 

Stone crabs have a distinctive "crusher" claw that can crush an object up to 19,000 pounds. They must watch out for predators, including groupers and sea turtles. They can live for up to seven years and have plenty of siblings. And, if you're looking for a gift for a loved one, don't be afraid to purchase some stone crab claws for them.

 

While some commercial stone crab fisheries operate on a claw-only policy, there is little evidence that this policy impacts the number of crabs in the wild. The sublethal effect of removing a stone crab's claw is not fully understood, and there is no consensus on whether it changes the behavior of successful crabs. However, scientists are investigating the impact of claw removal on the survival and prey consumption of stone crabs in the wild.