Canning Crab Meat
It is recommended that blue crab meat be frozen for best quality.
Procedure: Keep live crabs on ice until ready to can. Wash crabs thoroughly, using several
changes of cold water. Simmer crabs 20 minutes in water containing 1/4 cup of lemon juice
and 2 tablespoons of salt (or up to 1 cup of salt, if desired) per gallon. Cool in cold water, drain, remove
back shell, then remove meat from body and claws. Soak meat 2 minutes in cold water
containing 2 cups of lemon juice or 4 cups of white vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of salt (or up to 1 cup of
salt, if desired) per gallon. Drain and squeeze meat to remove excess moisture. Fill half-pint
jars with 6 ounces of meat and pint jars with 12 ounces, leaving 1-inch headspace. Add 1/2 teaspoon of
citric acid or 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to each half-pint jar, or 1 teaspoon of citric acid
or 4 tablespoons of lemon juice per pint jar. Add hot water, leaving 1-inch headspace.
Adjust lids and process following the recommendations in Table 1 or Table 2 according to the canning
|
method used.
| Table 1. Recommended process time for King and Dungeness Crab
Meat in a dial-gauge pressure canner. |
|
| Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of
|
| Jar Size
| Process Time
| 0 - 2,000 ft
|
| 2,001 - 4,000 ft
| 4,001 - 6,000 ft
| 6,001 - 8,000 ft
|
| Half-pints |
70 min |
11 lb |
12 lb |
13 lb |
14 lb |
| Pints |
80 |
11 |
12 |
|
| Table 2. Recommended process time for King and Dungeness Crab
Meat in a weighted-gauge pressure canner. |
|
| Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of
|
|
| Jar Size
| Process Time
| 0 - 1,00 ft
| Above 1,000 ft
|
| Half-pints |
70 min |
10 lb |
15 lb |
| Pints |
80 |
10 |
15 |
|
|
|