620 MARINE PRODUCTS OF COMMERCE 



weed is spread over the bottom of the tray and the crabs are placed on it mouth 

 up and in rows inclined at an angle of about 60 degrees. Crabs live longer in this 

 position than if lying flat as the water does not run out of their gills so quickly. 

 A sheet of parchment paper is placed over the crabs, and this is covered with 

 seaweed and cracked ice. Two or 3 trays of crabs are placed in a crate. The most 



(Courtesy U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service) 



Fig. 29—7. Soft crabs are packed in trays which are in turn packed in crates for ship- 

 ment to the distant markets. Each tray is covered with a layer of wet seaweed to protect 

 the soft crabs from sudden changes of temperature. 



common size crate is one which holds about 15 dozen prime crabs and weighs 

 about 80 pounds when packed with ice. Most of the crabs reach their destination 

 alive, except in extreme hot weather when a number die if hansported long dis- 

 tances. 



Hard Crabs. Some hard crabs are shipped alive in barrels with ice. The large 

 whole crabs, called "Jimmies," are usually selected especially for these shipments. 

 A few steamed crabs are shipped whole on ice, but the great bulk of the hard- 

 crab catch is steamed, the meat picked out and shipped on ice or canned. 



Preparation of Crab Meat. The first operation in the preparation of crab meat 

 is the steaming or cooking of the crabs. One of the most up-to-date methods of 

 cooking crabs is to place them in circular iron framework baskets, about 3 feet in 

 diameter and 16 inches in depth. Two or 3 such baskets are hoisted by means of 

 a hand-operated crane into a cylindrical metal tank of slightly greater diameter. 

 A heavy iron lid is clamped on the tank or cooker, and steam is passed into it for 

 about 25 minutes. The steaming kills the crabs and cooks the meat; the shells 

 change from blue to bright red. 



One Virginian "crab factory" places the crabs in iron framework cars about 

 7 feet long, 2 feet deep, and 2 feet wide, which are run on a track into rectan- 

 gular horizontal cookers which hold two cars. 



