Question:
I have a couple of questions that I'm hoping you can answer. First, what is the best method for keeping Dungeness crab alive and in the best cooking condition for hours, or even three or four days? Secondly, when less than 50 percent of the crabs quit moving, are they still edible? If so, is there a time frame for this? Thanks in advance for any information. Many of us crab catchers who need these answers might now be wasting an unnecessary number of delectable Dungeness crabs. (Rangal Y., Millbrae, Calif.)

Answer:
Ideally, its always safest to keep the crabs alive until you're ready to put them directly into the cooking pot. To keep them alive for transport, the crabs should be kept cool, moist, covered with fresh seaweed, and then covered with a soaked burlap bag on top. You should be able to keep them alive overnight (and maybe longer) this way, but I wouldn't push it. To keep them alive for several days, you'll need a well-aerated saltwater tank, ideally with filtration. Without good aeration and filtration, low levels of dissolved oxygen becomes an issue, and as the crabs urinate in the water (turns bluish), without filtration the meat will slowly spoil.

As far as how long the crabs will remain edible after dying, I wouldn't wait longer than an hour or so to toss them into a boiling pot. Once crabs die, the meat starts to decompose if not cooked quickly. One reason is because when the crab dies, its mid-gut gland (the source of food digestion enzymes) is soon attacked and damaged by those same enzymes, and then the enzymes spread out into the muscle tissue, breaking it down into mush. Yuck!

Bottom line ...Dungeness crab are one of California's most delicious and popular seafoods, and they are always best enjoyed when kept alive until ready to drop into the cooking pot.