Can you eat dead blue crabs?

Many of the shellfish we eat will easily become smelly if they are dead. This is because the bacteria inside their bodies will multiply in large numbers. Therefore, it is generally not recommended to eat dead blue crabs. After buying live blue crabs, you should cook them promptly.

How to preserve blue crabs without dying

Blue crab is a delicious crab found in coastal areas. So how can we preserve blue crabs so that they won't die? Can we still eat blue crabs if they die? Let's take a look at these questions below!

After buying the blue crabs, soak them in light salt water for about 5 minutes and then take them out.

Place it in a cool and humid place that is well ventilated, such as a bathroom. Or you can put about 3 cm of light salt water at the bottom of the bucket. The water should not exceed the mouth of the blue crab. It is best to change the water every two days.

It can survive for 5-10 days in the most suitable temperature and moisture environment, and usually survives for 3-5 days. Remember not to put blue crabs in the refrigerator, otherwise they will die quickly. They cannot be kept in fresh water, otherwise they will die quickly.

Can you eat dead blue crabs?

Can't eat

Blue crabs are rich in nutrients and taste delicious, but if the blue crabs die, they will produce substances that are harmful to your health. Therefore, when purchasing blue crabs, you must be careful in your selection, or do not leave them for too long after purchase, and cook them in time.

The reason why it cannot be eaten is that when the blue crab is dying or dead, the histamine in the crab's body will decompose and produce histamine.

Histamine is a toxic substance. As time passes after death, more and more histamine accumulates in the crab's body, and the toxicity becomes stronger and stronger. Even if the crab is cooked, this toxin is not easily destroyed. Excessive ammonia nitrogen must be excreted from the kidneys, so eating dead blue crabs is very harmful to the kidneys.

People who eat dead crabs may experience symptoms such as vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Even half-dead "crabs" are not suitable for consumption.