If you are looking to buy soft shelled blue crabs make sure that you look for them during the months when they are really abundant and that is during the months of May and September. It is only during late spring and early fall that these blue crabs will be very productive and will have soft shells, and this is because these are the months when they are in their molting stage. This means that there is abundant fresh supply of it.
As crabs grow older, the also grow bigger and since their shells don’t grow big with them, then need to break their old shell and start growing a new and bigger one. Swallowing a lot of water to make their bodies bigger is how a crab breaks out of its old shell. It only take a few minutes after breaking out of its old shell before its new shell starts to grow. Then after a few days the hardening of the new shell will begin. And in these few days before the shell starts to harden is the best time to catch these blue crabs. This shows that a soft shell crab is not another species of the crab family. It is not only these blue crabs that experience molting but every type of crab for that matter.
Anyway, if you have undergone the tedious effort in prying meat from a sharp thick shell of a crab, you know how often you would want to enjoy the pleasure of having a handful of this tasteful meat when you are accommodated with a soft shell crab that is easier to eat. Although crab meat is made available year round, soft shell crab, have an entirely different taste when they are in this state as it includes the delicate soft shells that adds to a nice crunch. It is indeed a delicacy if you know how to pick the right kind and from the right source. Buying your soft shelled blue crabs from the best sources will ensure that you have the freshest supply of crabs. Look for the crabs that is not lesser than 2 1/2 to 3 ounces. The jumbo crab which is 4 ounces is the best. During the soft shelled blue crab season, it is good to treat yourself to as much of these crabs are you can eat.
Preparation and cooking of these soft shelled crabs can be done in a number of ways. You can either try them battered and deep-fried to a crisp, or floured and shallow-fried. Other ways to prepare crabs are putting them in buns, grilling over hot coals to have that smoky aroma, or simply pan friend in olive oil.
Although you can have them cleaned already before bringing them home, it is not really that important since it is easy to do it at home and you are sure that it is not contaminated. The time to buy these crabs is the same day that you will cook them and not earlier.