Can I buy live crabs 24 hours before cooking them?

[goodeatsgal]

I'd like to buy a couple of live Dungeness crabs tonight and keep them in the refrigerator to boil them for dinner tomorrow night. Is this a bad idea? I'll be close by the market tonight whereas I'd have to make a special 1-hour trip tomorrow, so this is for convenience. If it's okay, how would I store them in the fridge? On ice? Thanks!

[PBSF]

It depends on the crabs themselves, primary how long the store has had them. I always buy my crabs live from a Chinatown fish market in the morning to cook the same evening. In more than one incidences, the crab has died by then. And they were not in hibernation mode. The best way to store them is to put them in a large tub/pot with sides tall enough so that they can't climb out and cover them with a thick wad of wet newspaper in a cool place of your kitchen.

[porker]

No ice, just on a tray. Wet a newspaper (damp) and cover the crabs with this. It will keep them moist, but not kill them.
By cooking time, there may be bits of newspaper mulch in the nooks and crannies of the crab - rinse under cold water.

[monku]

They can last 2-3 days in your refrigerator. They will go into a hibernation like state while in the refrigerator.
The link above says don't leave them in a 36 degree temperature, most refrigerators are at about 40 degrees.

[James Cristinian]

If you are close to the market ask them. I only have experience with blue crabs in Texas, but the seafood markets and Asian grocers keep them alive in wood crates and some moisture in a cool place. We keep them alive after crabbing in an ice chest with a moist towel. A friend once found one crawling in the back of his pickup a day after crabbing.

[stomachofsteel]

I've never bought a live crab, but I have stored live lobsters in my fridge for 24+ hours and they were still quite alive when we boiled them. I found something online that advised me to wrap them loosely in wet newspaper, and that worked well. With lobsters, you don't want to put them on ice because when it melts, they will be sitting in fresh water which can kill them. This may also be true for crabs.

[CocoTO]

Live crabs need to breathe and the temp of your fridge is likely too cold for them ... see http://www.ehow.com/how_5383500_store...