Salt water ratio for mud crab cooking

Submitted: Monday, Dec 26, 2005 at 14:15

ThreadID: 29171 Views:27242 Replies:7 FollowUps:7

This Thread has been Archived

Austravel

Hi,

What ratio of salt do you add for cooking your mud crabs? Yep water straight from the sea is best but I've cooked at home many times and just added what I thought. Usually depends on who's helping and how many drinks I've had, only to help pass the time of course, as to how much salt is added.

So what's the best????

Back Expand Un-Read 0 Moderator Share

Reply By: Flesh - Monday, Dec 26, 2005 at 14:30

Monday, Dec 26, 2005 at 14:30

You need to add at least 1 cup of salt.

If you have a gas burner - bring water to a hard rolling boil, drop the crab in (make sure that it is dead so that it dosen't throw the claws). Bring back to a hard rolling boil for a few minutes then turn off heat. Leave in hot water for another 15 - 20 minutes. Remove from water and cool in fresh cold water (crab will continue to cook if not cooled).

On electric hot plate - boil for 15 - 20 minutes then cool as above.

Enjoy.

AnswerID: 145602

Follow Up By: Member - Poppy (QLD) - Monday, Dec 26, 2005 at 14:51

Monday, Dec 26, 2005 at 14:51

Have you tried steaming them?
Just add sugar to fresh water and steam for 20 minutes... yummeee
Can taste them now,actually heading up Hinchinbrook Channel tomorrow for a couple of days, might just throw in a couple of pots
Cheers Poppy

FollowupID: 399137

Follow Up By: Member - Brian (WA) - Monday, Dec 26, 2005 at 14:58

Monday, Dec 26, 2005 at 14:58

Hi A handful of salt and I drop then iced water after cooking

Then get into them. enjoy

FollowupID: 399138

Follow Up By: Flesh - Monday, Dec 26, 2005 at 14:59

Monday, Dec 26, 2005 at 14:59

No Poppy I haven't but that method sounds good. Will give it a go - just gotta get a legal buck.

Good luck with the crabbing.

FollowupID: 399139

Follow Up By: Member - Brian (WA) - Monday, Dec 26, 2005 at 15:08

Monday, Dec 26, 2005 at 15:08

Or you can clean first them and do chilli or garlic crabs on the b-b-q
all mouth watering. That reminds me I have not been this season yet

FollowupID: 399140

Follow Up By: Austravel - Sunday, Jan 01, 2006 at 13:27

Sunday, Jan 01, 2006 at 13:27

Thanks all. Yep I usually clean them first as well, I think they taste better this way but it's an individual preference. the 35g per litre of water is what I was after.

FollowupID: 399743

Reply By: Member - Brian (WA) - Monday, Dec 26, 2005 at 15:13

Monday, Dec 26, 2005 at 15:13

Just been reading my replys. Must have drank to much already

AnswerID: 145604

Reply By: Original Banjo (SA) - Monday, Dec 26, 2005 at 15:27

Monday, Dec 26, 2005 at 15:27

It has been alleged by someone here in these southern areas that the northern mud crabs MAY be nearly as good as our local blue swimmers - probably not but :-0) ! Anyway, the sea water is great for cooking of course, and various government sites say that the sea water all over the planet is close enough to 35ppm salt. Ergo, 35g of salt to 965ml of water (by my quick calcs).

AnswerID: 145605

Follow Up By: The Explorer - Monday, Dec 26, 2005 at 18:26

Monday, Dec 26, 2005 at 18:26

Actually The salinity of seawater is about 35 parts per THOUSAND in most marine areas...not parts per million.
Cheers
Greg

I sent one final shout after him to stick to the track, to which he replied “All right,” That was the last ever seen of Gibson - E Giles 23 April 1874

Lifetime Member
My Profile My Blog Send Message
Moderator

FollowupID: 399145

Reply By: Flesh - Monday, Dec 26, 2005 at 15:37

Monday, Dec 26, 2005 at 15:37

Here's what the NT Fisheries has to say:-

"Cooking Mud Crabs

Mud crabs are often boiled whole and they should be killed beforehand by chilling or piercing their central underside. Steaming them is also a popular cooking method and they should be cleaned and have their claws cracked beforehand to allow steam to penetrate and make them easier to eat. Crabs that are to be boiled should not have their claws cracked as this allows water to be absorbed into the flesh.

Whether steamed or boiled, mud crabs should be placed in a cooking pot once the water is boiling. This will usually stop the water boiling for a few minutes. Once the water is brought back to boiling point, mud crabs should be cooked for ten to twelve minutes then allowed to cool before being eaten."

N.T. Fisheries on cooking mud crabs

AnswerID: 145606

Reply By: Nudenut - Monday, Dec 26, 2005 at 19:12

Monday, Dec 26, 2005 at 19:12

i'm digging into a CRAYFISH at this very moment
you can stick to your crabs that taste like mud!

AnswerID: 145625

Reply By: The Rambler( W.A.) - Tuesday, Dec 27, 2005 at 22:52

Tuesday, Dec 27, 2005 at 22:52

Just another tip with mud crabs---Clean them(remove shell etc.) BEFORE cooking regardless of steaming, boiling, or whatever as you end up with crabs that you do not have to remove the sh-----t and you use a lot less water and smaller pot.Have introduced this to many campers and most will go this way everytime.

AnswerID: 145750