How to Eat Crabs

You may think "how to eat a crab" is a no-brainer or you may think it’s a very time-consuming task that discourages you from eating crab. Whatever the case may be, there is an efficient way to ingest them.

Everybody knows that crabs are delectable but they quite messy to eat. Here is an easy step-by-step guide on how to eat a crab!

Prepare your table

The table needs to be prepared for splashes and leftovers. Lay down something to protect the table, such as parchment paper or any heavy-duty paper to absorb the juices, and to make clean up easier.

Gather easy access tools, like a dull knife, heavy-duty scissors or a claw cracker

For you to easily open the shore crab, you need these tools to help you.

If you haven't already cooked the crabs, do so

Steam the crabs; blue ones will usually turn deep red. Normally crabs are steamed with a layer of seasoning.

Pull off all the legs and claws with a twisting motion

Starting with a whole crab, you want to remove all of its legs and claws. This can be done by just ripping them off with your hands. You want to remove them right where the joints meets the body. Don’t twist but bend the limb downwards or upwards and they should come right off.

Turn the crab over on its back

Open the apron––the apron looks like a tab. It’s the V-shape part of the crab.

Remove gills and mandibles

This is optional but if you are planning to do so,  you'll notice that in this stage the top shell is gone, and you'll be able to see the crab's insides. Along the top are two rows of opaque, feathery gills. These are not tasty. Simply pull them all off and discard them. The mandibles, at the front of the crab, need to be removed–simply snap the two pointy things to break them away from the crab and discard them

Take the top half and the bottom half in each hand, as if you are opening a peanut butter and jelly sandwich

Pull off the top shell. Take care and do this slowly. Toss the top shell.

Take this bottom half and break it in half

Now take one of the halves and with a knife (or your hands) cut it in half. If you are using your hands, press down to break the chambers and then pull them apart. Now you should have the meat exposed. Use your fingers to pull the meat out and enjoy! Use your knife to get the meat out of the smaller chambers.

Split crab legs

The legs, like the claws, can be cracked, but many crabs have soft enough shells on their legs that you can clip open with kitchen scissors.