Welcome to the very first blog post of Stoners Crab Shack!
Besides this being our first post, Stoners Life wants to make this post even more special. What better way to do that than by talking about what we are the most passionate about? You guessed it right, stone crabs!
The first step you take into the realm of the stone crabs is by getting to know some of the facts about stone crabs that you probably didn’t know.
- Ninety-eight percent of all stone crabs come from the east coast of the United States, Florida.
- People who are new to crab harvesting will find it a bit shocking that Florida stone crabs are harvested only for their claws. Although their body is eatable it is too much effort compared to what edible meat is gotten out of it.
- Animal conservationist can rest easy after they read the above point as the claws are regenerated in 1-2 years. To use some scientific jargon, “Each time a crab molts, it has the ability to regenerate the lost appendage”. Also, live crabs are returned to the water.
- However, the claws must be at least 2¾ inches in length as it is the legal harvestable size allowed by law. So make sure you don’t face unnecessary charges or become viral in social media as an animal hater inadvertently and face a backlash from the people.
- Never tasted Florida stone crab meat before? To put it in one sentence, it is flaky and white to off-white with a sweet taste and something you will savor if you are a seafood fanatic or a general food lover.
- There is a ban on taking claws from egg-bearing females.
- Like most people stone crabs are not ambidextrous. Meaning they don’t use both of its claws equally. And like most people, they are right handed but a pinch from either claw hurts the same so be careful.
- It is believed that their claws can crush up to 19,000 pounds per square inch. Now that’s a mighty grip.
- The female stone crabs live a year more than the males. Guess in every species females live longer.
- The female stone crabs are capable of laying up to 1 million eggs at a time.
- Stone crabs are sold by the size of their claws with varying ranges for medium to colossal claws and can prove to be an expensive treat for some.
- Stone crabs feed on oysters, worms, and other crustaceans.
The second step is getting to know why stone crabs are harvested/caught by humans.
Stone crabs are mostly caught for food but are they healthy for you?
Along with nutrient benefits equal to that of red meat, they have an added benefit of being low in fat and contain only about 82 calories per 3-ounce serving. Stone Crabs can supply key vitamins and minerals that support good health. You can make it an occasional part of your diet plan and see no adverse effects on your health. Being a rich source of protein and low on carbohydrates, people often find crab meat as a replacement for tuna fish.
So next time you see a hole around your dock pilings with some shells nearby just know there just may be some delectable claws right within your reach.
You have now stepped into the stone crab realm! There are still many areas of the realm yet for you to discover and know about.
Stay tuned with us as we slowly unravel them to you through our blog posts here at the Stoners Crab Shack.
