Brining crab before cooking is an easy way to flavor the meat without overcooking it. Brining involves soaking crab in a saltwater solution so that moisture and flavors are drawn deep into the meat through osmosis. Because crab meat requires such a short cooking time, it is difficult to flavor meat unless you first soak it in brine that contains herbs, spices, wine or other flavoring. For best results, brine precooked and thawed crab meat.
Step 1
Pour about 1/2 gallon of non-chlorinated water per pound of crab into a bucket. If you remove the meat from the shells before brining, you can fit much more meat into the bucket. Just make certain there is enough water to fully cover the crab.
Step 2
Add 1 cup of salt per gallon of water. If desired, add 1 cup of sugar to the water to sweeten the meat.
Step 3
Mix in your seasonings. Pepper, garlic, lemon and white wine work well with crab meat, but you can flavor the crab with anything you wish.
Step 4
Seal a brick or heavy plate in a large plastic zipper bag and place it on top of the crab to keep the meat submerged, if necessary.
Step 5
Soak the crab in the brine solution for 30 minutes with shells removed, or for 60 minutes with shells intact. Soak the crab in the refrigerator if you plan to brine longer than 60 minutes.
Step 6
Rinse the crab meat in clean water and then cook thoroughly before serving.
Tips and Warnings
- You can start the brining solution by adding salt to warm or hot water, but do not add the crab meat until the solution has cooled.
Things You'll Need
- Non-chlorinated water
- Large bucket
- Kosher salt
- Sugar
- Seasonings, to taste
Member Comments