What is softshell crab?!
I love it and have eaten it many times but I want to know how come there is no shell!. Is it taken off or is it like a growth defect or what is the story!?Www@FoodAQ@Com
Answers:
There is a shell, but it is not a defect!. As blue crab get bigger, the shell does not grow causing the crab to shed it leaving a skin like covering for about 4 days!. This is called molting!. The crab farmers then take the crab and sell them as soft shelled crabs!. The crab must be kept alive and fresh, but if they are not consumed within 4 days of the "molting" process then the crab begins to grow a new shell!. So in a nutshell, the farmer takes the blue crab after it sheds its first shell and sells it!. Then it has to be eaten within 4-5 days or the crab begins to grow a new shell!. There you go!.!.!.Star this one as a "best answer" =)Www@FoodAQ@Com
These are crabs which are caught after they shed their shell, cooked as the new shell (still soft, hence the name) develops!.
I summed this one from wikipedia:-
Soft-shell crab, sometimes abbreviated to just soft-shell, is a seafood delicacy with the entire crustacean capable of being eaten, a result of catching and cooking crabs shortly after they molt their hard shell!.
The exact species used as soft-shells varies from region to region!. In the United States, the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) is used typically, although the use of the mangrove crab in Asia has provided another source for this seasonal food!.
As these crabs grow larger, their shells cannot expand, so they molt the exteriors and have a soft covering for a matter of days when they are vulnerable and considered usable!. Fishermen often put crabs beginning to molt aside, until the molting process is complete in order to send them to market as soft-shells!. Crabs should be kept alive until immediately before cooking by the customer or restaurant so that they are fresh!. Usually crabs must be eaten within four days of molting to be useful as soft-shell crabs!. They begin to rebuild their shells after that, and when eaten, have a thin shell developing!. These are often referred to as "papershells" or "tinbacks" and are more crunchy when eaten, making them less desirable to many people!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
I summed this one from wikipedia:-
Soft-shell crab, sometimes abbreviated to just soft-shell, is a seafood delicacy with the entire crustacean capable of being eaten, a result of catching and cooking crabs shortly after they molt their hard shell!.
The exact species used as soft-shells varies from region to region!. In the United States, the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) is used typically, although the use of the mangrove crab in Asia has provided another source for this seasonal food!.
As these crabs grow larger, their shells cannot expand, so they molt the exteriors and have a soft covering for a matter of days when they are vulnerable and considered usable!. Fishermen often put crabs beginning to molt aside, until the molting process is complete in order to send them to market as soft-shells!. Crabs should be kept alive until immediately before cooking by the customer or restaurant so that they are fresh!. Usually crabs must be eaten within four days of molting to be useful as soft-shell crabs!. They begin to rebuild their shells after that, and when eaten, have a thin shell developing!. These are often referred to as "papershells" or "tinbacks" and are more crunchy when eaten, making them less desirable to many people!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
The crab sheds it shell and leaves a soft shell that develops into a hard one, you eat it while it is soft- thus you dont need to peel!
Delicious!Www@FoodAQ@Com
Delicious!Www@FoodAQ@Com
they do have a shell its just that it is soft!. as u can tell by the name softshell crabs!. the person that prepared the dish probably took off the shell and u never noticedWww@FoodAQ@Com
After the crab has shed its shell and before it grows a new one it is caught and cooked up for you to enjoy!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
A softshell crab has a shell but it is soft and edible, so you would not know that you ate it!.Www@FoodAQ@Com