Where can I find live blue crabs?

[JohnnyRoaster]

Does anybody know of a place to buy live blue crabs in the area. I have gotten them shipped from Maryland before with mixed results. Thanks in advance!

[galangatron]

saw lots of live blue crabs at angkor watt market in revere on saturday

[coolhandluke]

Has anyone seen any blue crabs in the Boston area recently? It's getting into the season now and I am fixin for a crab boil.

[BostonZest]

Can't help you with Blue but we had a Dungeness Crab feast last night. We picked them up at J. Hook. They were big and tasty. I steamed them with old bay and enjoyed every salty bite.

Here's a piece about the crab feast system we've adopted.
http://www.bostonzest.com/2008/07/crab-feast.html

And another on my favorite weapon for crab cracking
http://www.bostonzest.com/2009/01/crab-claws-are-wonderful-leftovers.html

Penny
http://www.bostonzest.com/

[kobuta]

They were available at C-Mart last weekend for 2.99 / lb. My mom's bought them from various Chinese markets over the last month and a half.

[JohnnyRoaster]

Just a quick update: Chris from the Quarterdeck in Maynard hooked me up with a bushel of male crabs from Maryland. They were not cheap but it is still early in the season. It was actually a bargain if you consider they feed a party of 16 people and then my wife and I got two more meals out of them. We made some awesome crab quesadillas last night. I am done picking crabs for a while. Thanks for all the help!

[chef24]

Boston Seafood Show starts Sunday March15-Tuesday March 17th Crabs & Green Beer!!

[kobuta]

This isn't really the season yet for blue crabs, so I don't know if you'll have luck. Though when they are in season, we always buy ours from the Chinese markets in Chinatown/Quincy/Malden/Allston.

If you need fresh crab meat in general, I do find dungeness crab to be closer to blue crab in taste and consistency than other varieties.

[JohnnyRoaster]

It is still a little early for Maryland crabs, but Texas and Florida crabs are always in season. Most people think about crabs in summer just like barbecues. They are just more expensive this time of year and fewer people carry them.
Thanks for the suggestions. I will check out c-mart once it gets warmer. Any idea if they carry males or females?
I was hoping to have a crab fest for my birthday this weekend. I will report back if I find any locally.

[ScubaSteve]

C-Mart should have both, you just need to sort through the basket yourself, they don't sex them prior to display.

[kobuta]

Yeah, if you're looking for just she-crabs, you just have to flip them over and look at the flap at the bottom. I believe the narrow, pointy-like shaped flaps are male, and the rounder ones are females.

[JohnnyRoaster]

She-crabs have more of a roundish triangle and the males more of an inverted T. I prefer the males for picking but the females are fine for making soup. Thanks and I will post back if I have any luck.

[qianning]

most of the viet namese and cambodiam grocers also carry blue crab. battambang market for example. but it is a hit or miss thing--sometimes plentiful, sometimes not.

[PorkTerrine]

I don't know if they are the same kind, but both C-Marts in Chinatown always seems to have boxes of live crabs.

[ScubaSteve]

i was at C-Mart last Friday and they had Dungenous but no Blue Crabs.