CRAB AND LOBSTER FISHERIES 



199 



Current developments and the economic need for increasing production 

 efficiency of the plants favor the introduction of mechanization to a 

 significant extent for handling, picking, and packing the meat. 



Frozen blue crab meat is not considered satisfactory from the stand- 

 point of quality and storage life; therefore, the production is minor. The 

 meat tends to become spongy and fibrous in texture very shortly after 

 storing of the frozen product, and the delicate flavor of the fresh product 



I if" I Mmf 



Figure 14.2. Pasteurization of blue crab meat in an East coast plant. Open tanks can 

 be used since the cans of crab meat are pasteurized at a temperature well below the 

 boiling point of water. The tanks in the background are used to cool the cans. (U.S. 

 Fish and Wildlife Service.) 



is soon lost. Because of these changes, frozen blue crab meat can only be 

 successfully stored for a few weeks, generally not over one month, at 

 0°F in commercial practice. 



Canned Blue Crab. A relatively small proportion of the blue crab catch 

 is canned, owing to the high costs of picking such small crab and canning 

 in competition with much larger species such as Dungeness crab. In addi- 

 tion, there is a ready and closer market for the fresh and pasteurized 

 chilled meat. An objectionable bluish discoloration of the meat in the 



