How to Preserve Crab

Crab is considered to be a seafood delicacy.

Fresh-caught crab is a tasty treat, but there are times when you catch more than you can eat right away. Crab must either be prepared while it is still alive and eaten right away or preserved in such a way that it will keep long enough to be enjoyed at a later date. One way to preserve crab is by canning it.

Things You'll Need

• Pressure canner with gauge
• Cooked, cleaned crab meat, cooled
• Vinegar
• Jars, 1 pint or 1/2 pint, clean and sterilized, with lids and bands

Instructions

1. Fill jars to 1 inch from the top with crab meat. The meat can be packed in, but not so tightly that liquid cannot circulate in the jar.

2. Add 1 1/2 tsp. of vinegar to each half pint jar, or 1 tbsp. to each pint jar. This helps to preserve the color and flavor of the meat.

3. Cover the contents of the jar with boiling water. Leave 1 inch of space at the top of the jar.

4. Place lids on jars. Do not add the bands at this time. Place jars in the pressure canner according to canner instructions, and close the lid.

5. Bring the canner to the full pressure required for processing. Pressure should be 11 pounds if you are working at an elevation of 2,000 feet or below, 12 pounds for elevations from 2,001 to 4,000 feet, 13 pounds for 4,001 to 6,000 feet, and 14 pounds for 6,001 to 8,000 feet. This ensures that an adequate temperature is reached inside the canner.

6. Process the jars for 70 minutes if you are using 1/2-pint jars, and 80 minutes for pint jars. Do not start timing until full pressure has been reached.

7. Check to ensure that the lids have been sealed onto the jars. Do this within 24 hours of completing the processing. If they are not sealed, the entire heating and pressure process can be repeated, or the contents of unsealed jars can be eaten right away.

8. Add bands to all properly sealed jars, write the date on the lids and store them away from heat, cold and light.

Tips & Warnings

• You can use a pressure canner with a weight instead of a gauge, if you prefer. Use a 10-pound weight for altitudes up to 1,000 feet and a 15-pound weight if you are canning at a higher elevation. Refer to the canner's manual for information on how to determine when proper pressure is reached.

• Crab must be processed by using a pressure canner at the proper pressure for the correct length of time. Failure to do so can cause food poisoning. Do not use jars larger than 1 pint for crab, since necessary heating times for safe preservation have not been determined.

References

• Pacific Northwest Extension: Canning Seafood; Carolyn A. Raab; June 2008