MBI staff is putting Seavory Crab product in boxes.

If you like to eat crab meat but you live far from salty water, you can buy canned pasteurized crab meat. As we know, you can find pasteurized crab in the refrigerated section in the seafood department at grocery stores.

Canned Pasteurized Crab Meat at Grocery Stores

Pasteurized blue crab meat comes with an expired date on the container. Usually, you can find it on the side or bottom of the container. So, make sure to look for it before you purchase the crab meat.

Generally, grocery stores sell crab meat in a 10 oz plastic container. Besides that, they come with a resealable lid. However, some stores sell pasteurized crab meat in a one pound can.

For your information, pasteurized crab meat is highly perishable. Once you open it, you have to consume it within 2 days. If you can find fresh crab meat, it is a good idea to buy it. However, you have to prepare to eat it all that day.

The pasteurized crab’s price varies. Jumbo lump is the most expensive one. Averagely, it costs $25 to $30 per pound. Then, super lump, claw meat, or back fin belong to less expensive options. They come with orageish in color. Besides that, they also have a sweeter flavor.

You need to know that crab meat contains high protein and low fat. That’s why you can call it a versatile seafood product. Then, you can eat it right out of the can. It depends on your desire.

There are also some pasteurized crab meat recipes you can try. If you want, you can also blend it in soups. Even more, you can batter or fry it. It is also a good idea to form it into crab cakes. Alternatively, you can serve it with a salad.

How Long Does Canned Pasteurized Crab Meat Last?

In pasteurized crab meat, you put it into a metal/plastic sealed air tight container. Then, you need a specialized process to heat and cool it. If you don’t open the container and leave it sealed completely, it will last up to 12 months. It only happens if you keep it under refrigeration at about 33 to 40 degree Fahrenheit.

After you buy canned crab meat, you can eat it straight from the can. In fact, canned crab meat has passed the cooking process. However, you have to cook home-canned crab meat for 30 minutes before you eat it. The real joy is that you may have it sitting on the pantry shelf. Then, it is ready to use in your desired recipe.

It is important to know if pasteurized crab meat tastes different. For your information, you can keep canned pasteurized crab meat for a few months. Then, there’s very little taste difference. It means, this still tastes good.

What if you want to make crab cakes with pasteurized crab meat? To get the large pieces of crab meat, you have to purchase jumbo lump or even petite jumbo lump. Alternatively, you may purchase refrigerated, pasteurized crab meat. For your information, the heating process will extend its shelf life.

Canned pasteurized crab can last much longer compared to uncanned pasteurized one. If you store unrefrigerated canned crab meat properly, it will stay at the best quality for 3 – 5 years. However, this will remain safe to eat after 5 years. That’s why many people prefer buying canned pasteurized crab to fresh one.

As we know, grocery stores almost always sell crab meat in containers or cans rather than fresh. It is important to know that canned crab meat has passed a few processes. They include cooking, cleaning, pasteurizing, and packaging.

How to Clean Canned Pasteurized Crab Meat

If you decide to store canned crab meat first, you have to clean it when you want to use it.

To clean canned crab meat, just follow these steps:

1. First of all, open it and soak the meat in ice water for about 10 minutes! Here, you can do so using a fine strainer. Therefore, you don’t need to wash the pasteurized crab meat down the drain.
2. After that, transfer it to dry paper towels.
3. Next, pat it gently in order to soak up any excess water!

How to Store Canned Pasteurized Crab Meat

It is important to know if opened canned pasteurized crab spoils. In this case, you just need to smell it. If it develops an off odor, it really spoils. Alternatively, you can also look at the crab meat. If mold appears, you have to discard it. You must discard canned crab meats if they are bulging, rusting, or leaking.

You have to keep canned crab meat in the refrigerator. Make sure that you store it at 33 degree Celsius, 38 degree Fahrenheit, or below at all times before you open the can! Keep in mind that it cannot reach the maximum shelf life if you don’t keep it at the proper temperature.

We can also call refrigerated canned crab meat a ‘ready-to-eat food. So, you can eat it right out of the can or plastic cup. It means, you don’t need to cook it again. That’s why it is a good idea to buy canned crab meat.

How to Serve Canned Pasteurized Crab Meat

When you first open Seavory Crab product, canned crab meat has a noticeable seafood smell. During the canning process, it has gone through the cooking process. The canned crab meat is still safe to eat since the expiration date has not passed.

As we know, there are various packages of pasteurized crab meat. When it comes to canned pasteurized crab, the most common option is white meat. Simply, it is a mixture of claw meat with jumbo lump meat. Some brands also include leg crab meat in canned pasteurized crab.

In the end, you can serve canned pasteurized crab meat in different ways. You can consider eating it right out of the can, blending it in soups, battering it, frying it, forming it into crab cakes, or serving it on a salad. After you get the basics of buying it, you can buy some and eat more seafood now.