What does it look like when hairy crabs are not fresh? How to tell if hairy crabs are fresh?

We all know that hairy crabs are a popular food, especially in autumn. Hairy crabs are delicious, tasty, and can be cooked in a variety of ways. They are also highly nutritious and are very popular among people. Many people eat hairy crabs frequently. The fresher the hairy crabs are, the better they taste. So what are hairy crabs like when they are not fresh? Let's take a closer look!

What does it look like when hairy crabs are not fresh?

Limb drooping

Look at the connection of the limbs. Fresh crab legs are tightly connected to the body. When the body is lifted, the legs will not relax and droop.

Black spots on the abdomen

Look at the "stomach mark" above the umbilical cord. Due to the decay of the stomach contents, there are black spots on the belly umbilical cord of stale hairy crabs.

Crab roe flow

Check whether the crab roe is solidified. If the crab is not fresh, the crab roe is semi-fluid or even thinner. When you hold the crab's body and turn it over, you can feel the fluidity in the shell.

No vitality

Check its vitality. If the crab turns around with its belly facing upwards and can quickly bounce back with its legs, it is full of vitality. Otherwise, it is not full of vitality and is not fresh enough.

How to judge the freshness of hairy crabs

The biggest characteristic of hairy crabs is that they must be eaten alive, and dead hairy crabs cannot be eaten. The more energetic and fresh the hairy crabs are, the better they taste, full of delicious flavors.

We can also use a few small methods to confirm the freshness of hairy crabs.

Eye

Gently touch the eyes of the hairy crab with your fingers. If the eyes can move flexibly, it means the crab is fresh and energetic.

Foam

Blowing bubbles is an outward manifestation of the hairy crab's breathing. If the number of bubbles blown by the hairy crab are large and very fine, it means that the crab may have just left the water.

Turn over

Untie the crab rope, turn it upside down, and see if it can turn itself back over with the strength of its legs. Only energetic crabs can do this!

Choose a crab with vigor

Fresh crabs are full of energy, crawl very fast and have quick reactions. If they crawl fast and their abdomen is not touching the ground, it means they are fresh. Otherwise, they are not fresh.

Look at the hair on the crab legs

Good crab legs have long hairs that are golden in color. The longer and more hairs on the legs, the better the crab. On the contrary, if the hairs on the crab legs are short, sparse, or even dry, it means that the crab is of poor quality and is not fresh.

How to keep hairy crabs fresh

(1) After buying the big box crabs, pour them directly into a bucket and cover it with a leaky lid. Please be careful not to wash it. Do not add water to the bucket containing the big box crabs. The big box crabs can survive for one or two days relying on the water in their own body.

(2) After buying the large crabs, just put them directly into the refrigerator to keep them fresh (the temperature of the refrigerator's fresh-keeping layer is about 7 degrees).