Live Brown Crabs Sold in the Grocery

Live brown crab

We have at least 6 types commercial crab sold in the USA markets, they are: dungeness crab; snow crab; jonah crab; stone crab and king crab. In facts, there are around 40 species of king crabs, but 3 only are widely sold in the market that are brown (golden), blue and red. 

What I found in the market is brown crab, scientific name is Lithodes aequispinus. The crab could reach 11 pounds weight and 6 feet leg span from tip to tip. The size I saw in the grocery in my town not so that big. The weight might be close to 4 to 8 pounds (2 to 4 kg), but the leg no more than 1.5 feet.

This crab distributed all over the world from North Sea to Atlantic Ocean to Bering sea to Mediterranean Sea. King crab which we saw in American groceries mainly come from Alaska, but also import from as far as Norway and Russia. 

Price sold in the groceries around US$ 6 per-pound, thus one brown king crab with 8-pound weight reaches price of US$ 48. Very much expensive for me.

Cooked crab shells turn to red 

How to cook live king crabs? It is easy, just boiling or steaming in the pot for no more than 30 minutes. Some groceries sold frozen crabs, these crabs cooked already, need several minutes to reheat by microwave or oven. 

All species of crabs or even shrimps regardless of their natural (raw) colors (brown, blue, black or golden), their shells will turn to red when cooked.