crabs

**feeble** · 27-03-2007, 22:28

hi all
ive managed to get a get a supply of crab( hermit and peeler) for the summer and was wondering how to prepar them for freezing down. some bloke i was talking to said i have to remove there lungs as it can make the crab go off. ive never used the stuff so any help would be great cheers. carl

**jassyfa** · 28-03-2007, 00:10

totally peel the crab and remove the lungs, ensure there are no bits of bones left in the crab. When peeled and delunged wrap the crabs individually in cling film and place in a box to freeze.

**Dave Oldman** · 28-03-2007, 21:27

as jassyfa said.but what i did last season was put the bait on an ice cream tub lid,freeze and then stick em in a pot in the freezer the next day.this way it saves u having to mess about wrapping them all.....dave.

**Flathead** · 28-03-2007, 22:08

This is what I do:
Any crab that is to be frozen must be in good condition as a bait - ie. "popping".
This means that the old shell has begun to lift and is ready to be cast.
Remove all traces of shell and lungs from the crab. Once the shell and lungs are removed rinse the crab under clean, fresh water and dab dry with kitchen roll. This is to remove salt.
Individually wrap the crab in cling film or kitchen foil and freeze seperately before packing into containers. If you can use a metal tray in the freezer, this helps freeze the crabs quicker.
Don't forget to peel the legs and wrap them seperately - they can be used to bulk up crab baits.

Or you could place the crab in a freezer and allow it to freeze, once frozen remove the legs and wrap in foil, then place in a freezer bag, this helps stop freezer burn.