Healthy Food Database

Crabs
Crabs are crustaceans. The most common crabs to eat are blue swimmer crabs and mud crabs. Uncooked, the legs and claws are blue but turn red when cooked. The average size of a blue swimmer is approx 400g. Mud crabs are large prized-eating crabs mainly caught in far North Queensland. The average weight is 1.5 kg. Slate grey/green in colour, they turn bright red when cooked.

Note about amines: Fresh seafood has low amine levels, but when older than two days the amine content rises to moderate, and any fish that has been frozen has high levels.
Category: Seafood - Crustacean
In Season: all year
To Buy:
Buy whole crabs live, cooked or frozen. Crab meat picked off the shell can also be purchased fresh or frozen. Obviously live is best as the is no greater guarantee of freshness. If that's offputting or you're frightened of being attacked by the large claws, make sure you get the crab from a reputable fishmonger and find out when it came into the shop. Look out for cracked, damaged shells and smell them to check against any unpleasant odours.
To Store:
Crab meat should be eaten very soon after purchase as they are extremely perishable. Store on ice and eat within 24 hours.
Tips & Tricks:
If you are cooking with crab you must always use an uncooked crab. (Crab meat can never be cooked twice.) The new RSPCA guidelines on how to kill live crabs state that they should be chilled in a refrigerator or freezer for a couple of hours and then killed by splitting or spiking to destroy the nerve centres. At least at your hand, you know it died painlessly. From a culinary point of view it will taste better too.
Cooking Tips:
There's nothing nicer than cooked crabmeat as it is. Boil the crab in salted water for 8 minutes per 500g. Leave to cool in the water for 10 minutes before draining and running under cold water. Refrigerate before serving.

Nutrition per Per serve:

Weight (grams):
160
Carbohydrates, g:
2.0
Fat (g):
1.0
Monosaturated Fat , g:
0.2
Vitamin B6:
Iron, mg:
Zinc:
Magnesium:
Sodium:
Salicylates:
Safe/negligible amount
Energy (kJ):
412
Protein (g):
20.4
Saturated Fat, g :
0.2
Niacin (B3):
Vitamin B12:
Folic Acid:
Selenium:
Phosphorus:
Amines:
Low
Glutamates:
n/a

Benefits the Following Health Conditions:*

Anaemia
Low Libido
Immune Deficiencies
Malnutrition
Low Energy
Prostate Problems
Find recipes with Crabs

* This information is sourced by a qualified naturopath. It is non prescriptive and not intended as a cure for the condition. Recommended intake is not provided. It is no substitute for the advice and treatment of a professional practitioner.

Facebook Twitter RSS