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Hardshell Crabs prices - updated 10-30-2024

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Word in Balto. is the crabs are going to be excellent this year.
Yep, look at the dredge report I posted. Crabs grow 30% every 3 -5 weeks depending on food availability. In the Chesapeake they grow much faster than the average, so it's time for some math!

Wake-up from Winter nap: April 15th
Assume a 1.3 growth every 4 weeks.
A 2" crab on April 15th will be 5.7" (legal size is 5.5") on August 5th, and 7.4" on September 2nd, just in time for Labor Day!

@LionJim could you please check this math.
 
A friend of mine posted on Facebook the yield was up 60% this year. Softshells are prevalent in the high end restaurants in York
 
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Any place in PA/NJ to get real crabcakes?
Meaning Baltimore style.
I'm tired of looking.

Well, depends what you mean by real. I would say 99.99% of the crab cakes sold utilize garbage sourced from ex-US. The demand is for bigger the better lumps even if it’s bleached ex-US garbage versus true flavor from the brine in domestic waters whether it be the Chesapeake or Louisiana Gulf. I can’t say I’ve been to any place in PA or NJ that impressed me but that’s because I compare everything to mine and nothing remotely comes close.
 
I'm not sure...If you could definitively state what category salt is in I could answer. :p

Considering companies sell a blend of herbs/spices marketed as "crab seasoning", much like companies sell a blend of herbs/spices marketed as "steak seasoning". I can for sure say that while salt is a mineral you can use to season crabs, it's not "crab seasoning" or "steak seasoning", it's just salt. That is an indisputable truth, and to this day I can't believe some idiot wanted to argue otherwise. Although I do like continually reminding whoever that was how wrong they were.

Enjoy the crabs!
 
They measured 5 3/4" up to 6 1/2". When I got home I found 15 crabs in the bag! Nice!!! :D First pickings of the year for me.

Wow, that is a really good price for this early in the year. I usually don't bother going to the wharf in DC for crabs until after the 4th of July. Going to go down as soon as I have a chance. 15 crabs means crabs for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sweet.
 
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Just picked up a dozen hard shells for $12. Yes, $12/dozen. No one is making money...but I'm eating pretty good!
 
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Isn't part of the problem that the Maryland crab processing facilities can't operate because they can't get work permits for their immigrant pickers? So no picked crabmeat from Maryland. Some of the Maryland brands actually imported crabmeat and repackaged it because they couldn't pick their own. It's another one of these occupations that is unlikely to be filled with domestic labor -- not too many American kids are growing up with dreams of being professional crab pickers.

Well, depends what you mean by real. I would say 99.99% of the crab cakes sold utilize garbage sourced from ex-US. The demand is for bigger the better lumps even if it’s bleached ex-US garbage versus true flavor from the brine in domestic waters whether it be the Chesapeake or Louisiana Gulf. I can’t say I’ve been to any place in PA or NJ that impressed me but that’s because I compare everything to mine and nothing remotely comes close.
 
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Isn't part of the problem that the Maryland crab processing facilities can't operate because they can't get work permits for their immigrant pickers? So no picked crabmeat from Maryland. Some of the Maryland brands actually imported crabmeat and repackaged it because they couldn't pick their own. It's another one of these occupations that is unlikely to be filled with domestic labor -- not too many American kids are growing up with dreams of being professional crab pickers.
I read where Phillips crab needed to be able to source their crab meat so they would have a year round supply for all their different outlets. They traveled around the world to find crab that tasted like it came from the Chesapeake, and found that crab from Viet Nam tasted the most like Chesapeake Bay crabs and they could get them year round. So many come from there.
 
Karns in Lemoyne. Their ad says $16/dozen but in the store it's $12. Not sure about the other Karns locations. The guy who runs the seafood department told me the crabs arrived this morning so I take that to mean they are fresh...and they sure taste fresh to me. :)
 
They measured 5 3/4" up to 6 1/2". When I got home I found 15 crabs in the bag! Nice!!! :D First pickings of the year for me.

Mid-twenties developed deadly allergy to shellfish. That's my favorite food of all time blue crabs seasoned and chlled.

Bom Apetite
Shalom
 
I read where Phillips crab needed to be able to source their crab meat so they would have a year round supply for all their different outlets. They traveled around the world to find crab that tasted like it came from the Chesapeake, and found that crab from Viet Nam tasted the most like Chesapeake Bay crabs and they could get them year round. So many come from there.
Wrong. You clearly have never been in a crab picking house.

Maryland crabs aren't available in the winter (they hibernate), so of course Phillips had to source crab from elsewhere. They should have turned to Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, but overseas crabs are less expensive (except for this year).

All stories like the one you told are BS.
You buy “blue crabs” out of season around MD and you are playing with dice with where they are coming from.

“MD” blue crabs in season may come from MD, DE, VA, NC, NJ, or even NY. Unless you buy off the boat, you can’t be sure. After many “down” years it looks like the population is about to pop back up, but don’t expect prices to drop.
 
Wrong. You clearly have never been in a crab picking house.

Maryland crabs aren't available in the winter (they hibernate), so of course Phillips had to source crab from elsewhere. They should have turned to Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, but overseas crabs are less expensive (except for this year).

All stories like the one you told are BS.
When I read Southeast Asia I think Viet Nam, sorry but.

Worldwide Vision
When you are faced with the depleted supply of the primary seafood on your restaurant menus, what do you do? For Steve Phillips, he took matters into his own hands. He heard there was a similar crab to the native Chesapeake Bay blue crab in Asia, so he took a few Maryland watermen overseas to do a survey and the rest is history.

GROWTH IN FOODSERVICE PRODUCTION
Steve built processing plants in Southeast Asia and began to produce pasteurized crab meat according to his high standards of quality and safety. Thanks to Steve’s vision and foresight, Phillips now has a year-round supply of crab meat and produces an extensive line of crab cakes, seafood soups, appetizers and entrees for thousands of independent restaurants and national chains. Steve keeps his eye on the future, anticipating industry trends and demanding innovation from his research and development team.

Phillips is a global food manufacturer, vertically integrated to ensure a dependable, safe product supply. To provide the highest levels of safety and quality, Phillips owns and manages our own crab, seafood and fish processing plants throughout Southeast Asia as well as our original plant in Hoopers Island, Maryland. This allows us to maintain 100% control over quality and consistency, from water to table

been to an oyster processing house as well
 
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They measured 5 3/4" up to 6 1/2". When I got home I found 15 crabs in the bag! Nice!!! :D First pickings of the year for me.
Where did you get them? I pay $75 - $80 a dozen down here in NC. I would make a drive for those.
 
Any place in PA/NJ to get real crabcakes?
Meaning Baltimore style.
I'm tired of looking.

You may not want to hear this, but THE best crabcakes I have ever eaten were at the Big Fish Grill in Rehoboth Beach, DE. Tons of meat and little or no filler.
 
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