Talk:Soft-shell crab

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Soft shell crab is unheard of in Japan. It does not exist in Japanese sushi. It only exists in foreign versions of sushi. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 161.43.88.196 (talk) 04:37, 30 January 2014 (UTC)

First..

My father used to be involved in the blue-crab business.. So this is second hand information (hence the posting in the discussion area)..

Ok.. Where he was from (NC), Soft-shell crabs were referred to as 'soft crabs' (not soft-shells or soft-shell crabs)

Also, about the "seasonal" aspect of soft-shell crabs (for the blue crab case), my understanding (from various sources) was that this is dictated by the intrinsic life cycle of the blue crab. When the female blue crabs enters its second year, the first spring molt is the only time during the lifetime of a female blue crab that it becomes fertile. So when it is about to molt, the female crab will actively seek a Jimmy (Male blue crab) to fertilize its eggs and protect it for the re-hardening period.. This specificity is used by the crab industry by rigging special traps (peeler pots) with a small male crab (instead of the usual bait) so as to attract the expectant (and soon to molt) females..

The catch is then put into special sheds where workers will observe the crabs continuously and then put the recently molted females into ice-cold water so as to slow down their metabolism to prevent the shell re-hardening process.

This information I have is from various sources, experience, etc.. So I have no reference at hand to substantiate any article based on this..

If anyone could confirm this information and/or has reference material, I believe it could be added to the main article..

--Ivan Scott Warren 02:57, 2 June 2007 (UTC)

You are precisely right. Soft shell crabs refer not to a species but to 'peelers,' as they're called in the trade, blue crabs in their molting state. Both male and female crabs molt, but the industry finds it more efficient to bait their traps with a male crab, attracting large numbers of females seeking its protection during their vulnerable, molting soft shell state. And yes, the molting process signals the female reproductive cycle which happens only once in the crab's lifetime. In the natural order, the male protects the soft-shelled reproducing female from predators such as large-mouth bass. In today's order, nature is tricked by human predators and the species dwindles. I've just come off the water where working crabbers imparted this information. Unfortunately, economic imperatives continue to suppress it. —Preceding unsigned comment added by SoutheastGeorgia (talk • contribs) 04:53, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

I love myself. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.197.243.128 (talk) 01:14, 21 April 2010 (UTC)

Can they walk?

Just wondering if soft shells can walk or if their legs are not stiff enough to support their own weight? Are they completely immobile for a few days while their exoskeleton hardens? - Akadewboy (talk) 20:18, 22 October 2008 (UTC)

They don't Walk, they move to a hiding place BEFORE MOULTING. Once Moulted they stay stationary in this place until the shell hardens. Anyway the crab is now 90% water at this stage and it is very light and buoyant. That's why when you cook crabs with shiny new shell and sharp pincers you find that there is hardly any meat.

— Preceding unsigned comment added by 202.156.122.92 (talk • contribs) 10:25, 12 March 2015 (UTC)

A stub?

Seems like a bunch of good data. Still a stub? Daharon (talk) 05:30, 12 August 2018 (UTC)

Removing last paragraph

The last paragraph of the article reads like a blog or cook book.

For the best flavor, one buys soft-shell crabs while still alive and heavily chilled. Either the vendor or the buyer at home will clean the crab using scissors by snipping out the gills, abdominal cover and the "face" with eyes and partial mandibles. The crabs should then be cooked within a couple of hours to avoid degraded texture; the flesh of a soft-shell crab rapidly becomes mushy and grainy after death. Supermarket soft-shell crabs, pre-killed and cleaned and wrapped in plastic often have degraded in this way. Buy them alive, or cooked at a restaurant.

I've reworded it but suggest removing it. Tyw7 (🗣️ Talk) — If (reply) then (ping me) 19:32, 5 February 2023 (UTC)

Edit. Removed paragraph by rolling back changes. --Tyw7 (🗣️ Talk) — If (reply) then (ping me) 19:36, 5 February 2023 (UTC)

I restored it, because the best food-related articles found throughout wikipedia will discuss the reality of the animal/ingredient. That might sound cookbookish to you but it is also what people come to Wikipedia for. No "sales" involved, and removing the para weakened the value for those looking for info about the soft shell crab, the primary interest in generally being as food, which involves buying and cooking them. I note that you may be in the UK where fresh soft shells aren't available without import. Would you object to an article about kippers including detailed passages about buying, handling and serving them? An entry with The Latin name and a statement that they are popular is not adequate. I did like your first attempt at editing my para though and restored yours, not my first attempt Daharon (talk) 16:30, 7 June 2023 (UTC)