Know Your Fish: Soft Shell Crabs, Part 1 - How ...

NOTE: This is the first part of a two part series. See Part 2: Preparing Soft Shell Crabs to cook and how to eat

(See the photo Soft Shell Crabs dress)

For the legions of loyal fans, are soft shell crabs on the happiness-inducing foods on the planet. During the season (which begins in the spring), food lover fried soft shell, grilled, roasted and.

But for those who never have the pleasure-- and for those who have it, but want to learn more about one of their favorite foods - here are some interesting, useful and tasty recipes tips for soft shell crabs.

What are they and how

Contrary to popular belief, the soft shell crabs are not a separate species; are hard-shelled crabs (blue crabs, especially in the USA) only periodically, at a certain stage of growth.

For a crab are bigger, you must first get rid of their old shell and form a new, so it regularly about his life. For this purpose, a new "layer" formed in the old shell and sufficiently inflated so that the upper and lower halves of the hull to separate from the back.

The crab on the inside - in his new soft "layer" - is flexible enough to remove the old shell. If you do that, much like a full hard-shell crab with claws and teeth regularly ribs float - but in reality it is almost as hard as a rubber chicken!

In nature the crab shell is very weak and vulnerable after moulting and begins to harden almost immediately. Within a few hours it is back to a hard crab.

Just as the fishermen to catch in this short transition period? Usually not. What they do is to catch before they start the process and then keep them in large tanks at a controlled temperature until they move. Soft crabs are then out of the water before it (stops the curing) sent back to a processor for hire or freezing removed and packed in damp straw, algae or other materials.

Buyer of soft shell crabs fresh, buy online, if possible, reputable fish market. Softshells living moves very slowly and very little. Their shells are very flexible. Feel free to investigate further; his claws are harmless in the soft shell stage. Avoid crab - alive or dead - who has a strong odor of any kind; A new crab, fresh fish, smells a little more water, wine.

See Part 2: Preparing Soft Shell Crabs to cook and how to eat