Often when you think of eating crab, you think of hot and steamy crab meat dipped in melted butter or other delicious dipping sauces. Too few kelp forests and the entire balance of the ocean is thrown off. Pre-cut Jonah crab claws are easy to deshell and serve. Stir to combine. It’s just not economical, Sosinski says, nor is it kind to your body. Since the Jonah crab claws for sale are not part of a whole live crab, they are steamed and frozen to preserve the best flavor and texture. Then they’re not fun.”. This is what you’ll see most often in the U.S.: Stone Crab Claws: A delicacy harvested October through May in Florida and year-round on the west coast, where they’re called rock crabs.The flesh is tender and succulent with lots of flavor! That was July 23, 2013. Female crab are believed to move nearshore during the late spring and summer and then return offshore in the fall and winter. Jonah crabs used to be considered a nuisance by lobster fishers who often found them in their lobster traps. [6] Seafood based broths and Asian style soups can be made from the shells and the texture is as fine as snow crab but as firm as Florida stone when prepared properly. [3] The Jonah crab is known to move to areas of preferred temperature for behavioral thermoregulation. Now it’s ready! The maximum reported carapace width for males is 222 mm, while females rarely exceed 150 mm. “We actually like them better than lobster,” Sosinski tells a guest who visited the Anna Mary after it docked past midnight on Memorial Day with about 4,000 pounds of Jonah crabs in two of its tanks. If legs don’t fit your cuisine, try a side dish or appetizer of Triple Scored Jonah Crab Claws . Our fishers catch wild Jonah crab claws and process them immediately for the best flavor and texture. “It’s part of the game,” Sosinski says. The food blog Plated calls the Jonah crab “the hidden gem of the Eastern seaboard,” and Citarella.com describes them as both sweet and briny. “My emails are not one every other day now. This soft stuffing is perfect for making stuffed flounder fillets, patted over a seafood casserole before it gets baked, or simply crumbled over fish fillets before they’re set under a broiler. In late 2014, a coalition of people involved in the nascent Jonah crab industry got together to hash this all out. In 2014, 70.05% of landings came from Massachusetts, followed by Rhode Island with 24.43%. Season with salt and pepper. Smaller than their King crab, Snow crab and Dungeness crab cousins, and known more for their claws and meat than their legs, Jonah crabs can be prepared in quite a few ways. They don’t fetch quite as much as Florida stone crabs, which get $20 to $30 a pound for their claws. The crates are packed into the refrigerated truck bound for Queens without giving the crabs the chance to see daylight. You only need to re-heat the crab claws. With 26 calories, 5 grams of protein and 128 mg of omega-3s, you can’t go wrong with this dietary choice. It also chronicles the successful rescue effort Sosinski launched in coordination with local fishermen, families and the U.S. Coast Guard. Learn how your comment data is processed. Follow us on Facebook for recipes and blogs. Jonah crab claws are high in protein and low in fat, making them a healthy alternative to other meats when added to your weekly meal plans. Each crab is released back into the water to regrow its claw naturally, so it’s a sustainable fishery. Feel free to substitute Jonah crab into any recipe calling for crab. Jonah crab claws are red and white with dark black tips. Don’t worry about the taste, though. [2] It is widely accepted that this species moves offshore in the fall and winter, and females have been documented moving inshore in late spring and summer. Gift certificates
If I had my way, I’d give every one of them a big hug. The claws tantalize the taste buds with tender, flaky meat with a sweet finisher. The initial rules are fairly similar to those for sustainable lobster: a minimum size (a carapace of 4.75 inches wide), egg-bearing females must be thrown back, crab traps must have vents to allow juveniles to squirm out, and fishermen cannot pull the claws off and throw the clawless crab back. We generally do not eat Jonah crabs' bellies, but their large claws provide succulent and tender meat that is somewhat sweet tasting. It’s become a delicacy as well, at least for those who know about it. Otherwise, the crab meat would spoil rather quickly. “You’re dealing with things that have claws that are angry.”, Aldridge agrees, saying, “They’re fun until they bite you. [2] It is the closest relative to the European brown crab in the Western Atlantic. Some of these were formerly considered “trash fish” – fish too bony or oily or just unpopular, eaten by fishermen but not sold to restaurants. “This movie is blowing up,” Sosinski told a recent visitor on the Anna Mary during a brief break from hauling Jonah crabs out of tanks and into crates to be weighed and sold. The Jonah crab (Cancer borealis) is a marine brachyuran crab that inhabits waters along the east coast of North America from Newfoundland to Florida. Jonah crab is, even by trash fish standards, poorly understood. "Even the crab's hard carapace is insufficient defense against the rapid-fire thrusts of the booby's powerful beak," the narrator deadpans. That included lobstermen who were catching the crab as well as marine scientists, processors, restaurants, and retailers. Or it was free. Cool the claws. The initial rules are fairly similar to those for sustainable lobster: a minimum size (a carapace of 4.75 inches wide), egg-bearing females must be thrown back, crab traps must have vents to allow juveniles to squirm out, and fishermen cannot pull the claws off and throw the clawless crab back. But pair our crab claws with a variety of zesty dipping sauces and cocktail sauces, and you will take your Jonah crab claw appetizer to a whole new level. Jonah crab claws are delicious by themselves or in any seafood recipe calling for crab meat. Jonah crab meat tastes slightly sweet. Landings of Cancer borealis in the United States rose from 2-3 million pounds annually in the 1990s to more than 17 million pounds in 2014. Try Jonah Crab Linguine with Garlic & Chile Sauce or grab some cocktail sauce and get a dipp’n! Notify me when this product is available: Jonah crab cocktail claws are a statement piece at any dinner. Jonah crabs are attracted to the same bait as lobsters, and are equally as flummoxed by lobster traps, so for decades, they were simply a bycatch. Our Jonah crab claws are pre-cut and frozen for easy shipping and serving. Read the latest reviews on our favorite products. Types of Crab Claws. Smaller than their King crab, Snow crab and Dungeness crab cousins, and known more for their claws and meat than their legs, Jonah … Jonah crab looks similar to stone crab, but Jonah crabs are slightly smaller. Caught in baited pots or traps from New York to Massachusetts shorelines, Jonah Crabs resemble the Western Coast Dungeness, but grow to a smaller size. “It’s an under-utilized product. [7], Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, "Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Jonah Crab", Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, "Predation risk, prey abundance, and the vertical distribution of three brachyuran crabs on Gulf of Maine shores", "From Bycatch to Center of the Plate: Jonah Crab", "Jonah Crabs Claw Their Way Up in Culinary Credibility", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jonah_crab&oldid=976970545, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 6 September 2020, at 04:48. By leaving the tips of shell on the claws, we protect the delicate and delicious claw meat while showcasing the beautiful presentation of pre-cut Jonah claws. To serve warm: For chilled Jonah crab claws, simply defrost them in the refrigerator for a day until you are ready to serve them cold in crab cocktail or cold crab salad. Despite all the attention, Sosinski and Aldridge say they plan to continue fishing as a livelihood, although they’ll pause for the necessary promotional appearances. In another bowl, combine crushed cracker pieces, breadcrumbs, wine or sherry, and 4 tbs of melted butter. I once had a FW fiddler crab climb out of the tank, and attack the cat. Jonah Crab cocktail crab claws are the large crab claws of Jonah crabs with a similar flavor to Dungeness Crab, although they are slightly denser in texture. Write CSS OR LESS and hit save. Fresh Jonah crab claw meat is delicious in a variety of seafood recipes but cracking and removing the crab shells can be cumbersome and painful. Does it need more heat or more salt and pepper? Hours: 11AM-5PM EST Toll-Free: 1-800-499-CRAB (2722), Copyright © 2010-2020 Blue Crab Trading Co. All Rights Reserved. Go ahead and eat with assurance since the claws break off at the joint that quickly heals and grows a new one. Aldridge and Sosinksi offer suggestions for stuffing and barbeque dishes using their meat. It’s like 15 at a time.”. The powers of the. They pull them out of the tanks and into buckets; the truck driver waits with a cigarette in his mouth, then another. Place all picked through crabmeat in a bowl and set aside. This is why it's so important for fishermen to correctly break the claws off of the crabs For ease and dipping convenience these... More, Unfortunately this combination is not accessible, Have questions or concerns? Jonah crab are very similar in taste and texture to stone crab but at a somewhat more affordable price point. They’ve made it easier for us to get food during a pandemic. We professionally prepare and remove the bottom half of the claw shell for you while protecting the delicate crab claw tips by leaving the top half of the shell on. In the past 15 years, Jonah crab landings have increased by over 600 percent; in 2000, US landings were at 2.6 million pounds, and in 2016, 15.5 million pounds. When it became clear that the coronavirus pandemic would render such a large gathering untenable, the stewards of Share the Harvest Farm (formerly known at Food Pantry Farm) did what they do best — adapted. What an exquisite meal! They’ve had a long, hard season and are feeling the burn. Remember, you can always call your monger and place a special order if you’re not sure they’ll have it on hand (See What You Can - And Can’t - Ask From Your Fishmonger), Spicy Jonah Crab Seafood Stuffing. Add onion, bell peppers, and celery together in a pan with 1 Tbs butter. Once, they were considered a nuisance and a pest that stole the bait in the traps and they were thrown back in the sea by many an angry fishermen. At the same time, fishermen must report every single Jonah crab they catch, to help the scientists get a better view of the stocks, and research is ongoing to figure out the precise way the crab fits into the Atlantic ecosystem. Jonah crab is not a swimming species of crab. [4] The preferred temperature of this animal changes depending on the temperature to which it is acclimated. [4], According to stomach content analysis on individuals from the Gulf of Maine, the diet of Cancer borealis consists of mussels, arthropods, snails, and some algal species. Several people I spoke to in the lobster industry in Maine said the Jonah crab was their favorite seafood item. Try Jonah crab claws in pasta, crab cakes, and crab dips. Yes. Breaking the claws were difficult at first, but you’ll get the hang of it. Caught in baited pots or traps from New York to Massachusetts shorelines, Jonah Crabs resemble the Western Coast Dungeness, but grow to a smaller size. They grow most plentifully in waters from the Georges Bank to North Carolina and are fished year-round. Creamy seafood pasta with Jonah crab claws. Crack off a claw; they’ll grow more. Wild Jonah crab claws can substitute almost any crab meat in crab recipes. It all depends on your Cajun seasoning and your palate. Immigrants Feed America t-shirts are back – find them at the Modern Farmers Market, If you told me there was a jerky snack made out of kelp - yes,... (more), It can keep up to 50 cans chilled for up to 36 hours and collapses... (more), Sign up for your Modern Farmer Weekly Newsletter.