Removal of eat 
Care should be exorcised in the removal of the meat from the shell. 
When removed in large pieces, a more attractive product can be obtained. 
The white body meat adheres to the large joints of the legs and claws as they 
are pulled from the body and can be removed in one large piece. Body meat 
is kept separate from the leg and claw meat. Tendons can be removed from the 
legs and claws by carefully breaking the shell successively at each leg and 
claw joint. The tendons will adhere to the unbroken part of the leg as the 
joints are pulled apart. The meat is then removed by a sudden jar-ring motion 
into white enamel pans. 
Washing, Acetic Acid Dip, and Brinln?? 
All particles of shell, coagulated blood, viscera, gills, etc., should be 
washed from the meat previous to dipping in acetic acid. This can be ac- 
complished by placing the meat on a perforated non-corrosive metal table or 
in. a wire tray made of galvanized iron and. spraying from above with water 
under pressure. After washing, the meat is weighed and dipped in an acetic 
acid solution for 15 seconds . This solution is made up in the proportion of 
two ounces (approximately 56 cc.) of glaeial acetic acid to one gallon of 
water. Acetic acid is us- 4 as a further precautionary measure against dis- 
coloration of the meat. Preliminary experiments indicated that in order to 
keep the strength of the acid at a constant level, it is necessary to 
replenish the acid bath at the rate of 2.4 cc. of glacial acetic acid per 
gallon of water for each 100 pounds of crab meat dipped. Tor example, if 
30 gallons of water are used in the acid tank, 2.4 x 30 s 72,0 cc. (ap- 
proximately 2;. ounces) of glaeial acetic should be added to the bath. By 
replenishing the acid solution after the interval mentioned above, a more 
uniform, and certain treatment can be obtained. White enamel nans measuring 
about 16x8x5 inches fitted with a removable 1/2 inch mesh galvanized wire top 
should be used for dipping. After dipping, the pans are inverted so that the 
acid solution remaining in the pan can be drained off. Following this the leg 
and claw meat is then dipped into a brine measuring 90° salinometer for a 
period of 15 seconds. The brine bath should be checked several times during 
the day and replenished with additional salt if necessary. Excess brine is 
drained off by inverting the pan and the meat is dumped into 1/4 inch mesh 
galvanized iron packing trays where it is allowed to drain for a few minutes 
before packing into cans, White body meat is not dipped in brine because 
the salt hbsorbed by the leg and claw meat is sufficient to flavor it to the 
right degree. 
lacking. Sealing, Retorting, and Cooling 
The crab meat is packed in 1/2 pound flat "C n enamel (sea food formula) 
cans. TTie cans are first lined with a crimped vegetable parchment paper 
cup, the largest pieces of leg meat or claw are laid out in a layer on the 
bottom, a layer of body and smaller pieces of leg meat are filled into the 
center which is followed by a top layer of leg or claw meat. Before sealing, 
a vegetable parchment paper disc is placed over the contents. 
