Canned Crab...is any of it any good?

[Mission]

Canned Crab...is any of it any good?

I have tried a few

Costco had a brand that was not very good.

Plus I tried a big can of Starkist Crab from Grocery outlet that was worse.

I would like it to be good enough for Crab cake or Crab salad.

Most of the bigger cans run $7-12 so it gets a little pricey to experiment.

I noticed that Trader Joes has two brands,has any one tried them?

I used to see them pull crab out of a no name can at the old Spengers fish market in Berkeley

And that stuff was fantastic!

Do places like Piedmont Market that always has fresh Crab crack it themselves or is their some secret high end canned crab that they use?

[Culinarychick]

I bought Miller's Select crab meat at my local Pricechopper and it was fantastic! Their website is on the can www.seafarefoods.com I tried the lump crab from them and it was superior to anything I've had so far.

[canadiangal]

the ocean brand canned crab isn't too bad. i've decided to soak it in milk. Im trying a cold crab dip with canned crab and im going to be using cocktail sauce and horseradish for more flavour.

[itslin]

Try the canned crab at Costco in the fresh food department - jumbo lump crab runs about $19.00 for a 1 lb. can. Don't buy the crab that runs $12.00 a can. The jumbo lump is pretty good when making crab cakes.

[Bob W]

If you want to make a good crabcake, you need blue crab meat from the East Coast or Gulf Coast.

Phillips -- a dirty word to crab lovers here in the Mid-Atlantic -- discovered a kind of crab in southeast asia called the swimming crab that has meat that looks like blue crab meat but has far less flavor. Worse yet, they have convinced the government to let them call this stuff "blue swimming crab" meat.

Look for blue crab meat from Virginia or the Carolinas.

[Silverjay]

Yes. The Phillips crabmeat from Costco usually says it's from Vietnam. The meat is less rich and not as sweet as blue crab meat from the mid-atlantic (you forgot Maryland!).

[Bob W]

Silver: I didn't mention MD because -- for now anyway -- there is hardly any crabmeat coming out of the bay in MD. 8<( What there is I'm sure doesn't make it past local restaurants. Certainly not enough for any to make it to the OP's favorite markets on the Left Coast.

[hipquest]

Bob you are so right. Most blue crab served in the Chesapeake Bay area is from the Carolinas.

Keep in mind that blue crab season for the gulf is starting now and the Carolinas will follow April/May. If we haven't "picked" the crab ourselves we only by jumbo lump. In fact, I'm headed to the grocery store right now to get some lump meat.

[raf945]

Bob,Hip, you guys are right.Most of the blue crab being sold in the Mid Atlantic is coming from South Carolina heading south, all the way around the Atlantic coast of Florida and up into the Gulf of Florida.I have never had a complaint using Phillips pasteurized crabmeat for salads or as a secondary in another dish.On sale for $5.99 per 16 oz can,it works for me.On a recent trip to Maine,I saw Stone Crab claws advertised for $9.99 per pound.A little leary,I didn't buy any.Also,thanks for the post on milk water,lime juice water.I will try these.

[Jeanne]

The pasteurized Phillips lump crab meat at Costco is good - in the refridgerated section at our store - where cheeses and fresh pastas are kept. I make a cilantro/jalapeno crab cake appetizer with it that everyone loves. Also a hot crab meat spread, crab quiche, and a shrimp/crab casserole - all good.

[jmckee]

I'll echo this. I made crabcakes from this a few months back, and while they weren't equal to fresh-at-the-shore-crabmeat-cakes I make on vacation, they were quite good.

[Dinsdale45]

I get the big Trader Joe's canned crab all the time. One is a little more expensive but the $8.99 claw meat type is very good. Nothing beats fresh, but you get a decent quality/quantity for a reasonable price.

[feelinpeckish]

The Trader Joe's product is VERY good and consistent. Having had Phillips in MD, I expected their canned product to be good. It is from foreign waters as all of the canned products seem to be and since I have had such good luck with Trader Joe, I am loath to switch.

[hipquest]

I can suggest a trick to try, drain the crab and put in a very cold milk bath (half milk half water) for 10 minutes or so, rinse with very cold water. It gets rid of the "tinny" taste and can actually help the texture.

[TongoRad]

I've done a similar thing with lime juice and have gotten good results. I guess it depends on the recipe, though.

[joth68]

Phillips has decent canned crab. I think your best bet would be to look for crab meat refridgerated in a plastic tub. It would probably be located near the fish counter.