The Dungeness Crab has a broad, oval body covered by a chitinous, wide, long, hard shell that it must moult to grow. The average weight of the crab is approximately 2 pounds, but only a quarter of that is the delicately flavored and slightly sweet meat. Besides being good to eat, they are also good for you. One crab is about 140 calories with 120 of those calories coming from protein, 14 from fat and 6 from carbohydrates. That translates into 28 grams of protein, making it an excellent source of that vital nutrient. Each crab contains only 10% sodium and 17% cholesterol and a mere 1% fat content. They are also rich in zinc, copper, calcium, magnesium and iron.
The season for harvesting crabs varies by state and region and in most places a Shellfish/Seaweed license is required. Daily harvest limits also differ. The common method of preparing Dungeness crabs is to drop them them live into a large pot of salted water and boil for 15-20 minutes, using a quarter cup of salt for each quart of water used. After boiling the crabs are chilled in cool water at which time the carapace is removed and the internal organs and gills are removed prior to eating. But there is another alternative, "cleaner" method called "half backing" that some prefer to employ. That is to take the live crab and cut it in half, removing the guts and gills by hosing or picking prior to cooking, thus leaving only the crab meat in what remains of the shell. Half backed crabs cook quicker and cleaner so we are told and can also be steamed rather than boiled.
Either way it is a feast for the seafood lover!
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