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KING AND DUNGENESS CRAB MEAT (It is recommended that blue crab meat be frozen for best quality)
Canned Crab
Yield:
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6 ounces crab meat per half-pint jar
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12 ounces crab meat per pint jar
Ingredients
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Live crabs
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Cold water (for washing, simmering, and soaking)
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¼ cup lemon juice and 2 tablespoons salt per gallon water (for simmering)
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Optional: increase to 1 cup salt per gallon if desired
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2 cups lemon juice or 4 cups white vinegar + 2 tablespoons salt per gallon water (for soaking)
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Citric acid or lemon juice (to acidify jars):
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Half-pint jar: ½ teaspoon citric acid or 2 tablespoons lemon juice
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Pint jar: 1 teaspoon citric acid or 4 tablespoons lemon juice
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Hot water (for filling jars)
Preparation
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Keep Fresh: Store live crabs on ice until ready to can.
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Wash: Scrub crabs thoroughly, using several rinses of cold water.
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Cook: Simmer crabs for 20 minutes in a solution of ¼ cup lemon juice and 2 tablespoons salt per gallon water. (Optional: increase to 1 cup salt per gallon.)
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Cool & Clean: Cool crabs in cold water. Drain, remove back shell, and extract meat from body and claws.
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Soak: Submerge meat for 2 minutes in cold water containing 2 cups lemon juice or 4 cups vinegar plus 2 tablespoons salt per gallon water (up to 1 cup salt, if desired).
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Drain: Drain and gently squeeze meat to remove excess moisture.
Packing
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Fill hot jars with crab meat: 6 oz per half-pint or 12 oz per pint.
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Leave 1-inch headspace.
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Add acidifier:
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Half-pint: ½ tsp citric acid or 2 tbsp lemon juice.
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Pint: 1 tsp citric acid or 4 tbsp lemon juice.
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Add hot water, maintaining 1-inch headspace.
Finishing
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Wipe rims, adjust lids, and process immediately in a pressure canner according to recommended seafood times.
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Always follow altitude adjustments for safe processing.
⚠️ Safety Note: Crab is a low-acid seafood and must be pressure canned — water-bath canning is not safe for crab meat.
| Jar Size | Process Time | 0-1,000 ft | Above 1,000 ft |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Half-Pints |
70 min |
10 lb |
15 lb |
|
Pints |
80 min |
10 lb |
15 lb |
