How to store crayfish, can they be frozen alive or boiled? This question concerns not only those who breed them.
Crayfish meat is a unique product that contains rare, but nevertheless useful elements for the human body, and it is very tasty. But if you handle it incorrectly, it will lose all its qualities. Therefore, it is important to know not only how to keep crayfish alive longer, but also to have, even a superficial understanding of its features, and then you can enjoy this delicacy to the fullest and with health benefits.
Useful qualities of crayfish meat
The meat of these amazing inhabitants of the bottom of our reservoirs has been valued at all times. And in our time, this is another one of the most profitable types of business. In addition to protein, it contains the following elements:
- Ca;
- Mg;
- Co;
- P;
- TO;
- vitamins B, C, D, E, K;
- folic acid;
- organic acid.
It also contains a high content of such an important element as iodine, which is a hundred times more when compared with beef!
Crayfish meat
Doctors recommend eating crayfish in order to normalize the functioning of the following organs:
- liver;
- pancreas;
- thyroid glands;
- strengthening immunity.
If we talk about cholesterol, which is so abundant in other types of meat, there is practically none in crayfish. In addition, it is low in calories, which is important for those who are on diets. 100 grams of product contains only 76 kcal.
However, it is worth knowing that it also contains sulfur, which has the ability to react with dishes made of aluminum. If you store crayfish in aluminum alloy containers, the meat will quickly lose its beneficial characteristics.
Selection of crayfish and cooking recommendations
Only live crayfish should be selected for cooking. They must be stored and transported correctly. How can you tell if crayfish are really good quality? In appearance, the color should be dark green, brown or gray, with high arthropod activity visible (they should not be lethargic).
The shape of the claws and their size does not matter.
The meat of dead crayfish accumulates a large amount of toxins that cause poisoning. In difficult cases, eating an improperly prepared delicacy can result in intensive care or death.
Important! If crayfish have tucked tails, they were caught recently.
You need to pay close attention to how to properly store crayfish alive until you arrive home. Transportation from the place of purchase to your home is carried out in several ways:
- In a box (wood, cardboard, plastic). Holes are made in the container in advance to provide oxygen to the arthropods. They should stay in the box for no more than two hours.
- In a thermos with river water. Not to be confused with a household container for hot drinks. A thermos for transporting crayfish is sold in a fishing store. In it, the crayfish remain alive for 10–12 hours, but during this time the water is changed 3–4 times.
- In a metal mesh. When catching crayfish, they put crayfish in it and lower it into the river. In this position they remain alive for about 6 hours.
- In a plastic container with river water. A deep dish is filled with river water and live crayfish are placed inside. The dish is covered with a lid with holes for air intake. Transportation time in this way should not exceed 2 hours. To ensure a sufficient level of moisture, place damp grass or a rag at the bottom of the container. The top of the crayfish is sprayed with water from a spray bottle every half hour.
Note! During transportation (due to lack or absence of food), the crayfish begin to eat each other. To prevent this from happening, they are provided with food: raw potatoes, chopped nettles, pea stems and leaves (peas are not used).
Storing crayfish
We know only 3 effective ways to preserve the quality of crayfish, but certain rules are suitable for everyone.
Only the most active individuals can be stored. They must move quickly and continuously. They can only be slow if they have been in cold water, but in this case their storage time is significantly reduced.
Throw away any surfaced crayfish immediately. Those individuals whose necks are straightened should also be removed if they are kept without water. Spoiled crayfish meat can cause severe poisoning, and you will agree that this is more expensive.
At home, glass, ceramic or stainless steel dishes are suitable for storage.
Hungry crayfish eat small fish, and in the absence of even such food they can begin to feed on each other, i.e. you will become the culprit of crustacean cannibalism. Therefore, if you intend to store them for a long time, then feed them at least a little.
To the question of whether it is possible to freeze live crayfish, the answer is absolutely no!
This applies to raw and cooked meat. The properties of meat are such that when frozen, it completely loses not only its beneficial qualities, but also its taste. The only consolation is that you will not get poisoned by frozen meat.
Preserving live crayfish correctly
It is necessary to try to keep all specimens alive. If during the cooking process one fallen crayfish gets into the broth, you will have to throw away the entire dish.
We imitate natural habitat
A bathtub containing settled water from a well or natural reservoir is used as a storage container.
Another option is to use a fish tank. You need to take care of the absence of sunlight. The backlight should be turned off at night.
For normal life, it is important for crayfish to provide sufficient oxygen and nutrition. The water in the bath should be changed regularly. If its quality deteriorates, the animals will try to crawl out, injuring each other.
In their natural environment, the favorite food of these river inhabitants is fish. At home you can feed them lettuce, nettles, peas, small pieces of carrots, and potatoes.
Be sure to read:
How long can smoked fish be stored: 5 options on how to extend shelf life
Insufficient feeding will lead them to eat their relatives. Dead individuals must be immediately removed from the water. Such specimens can be recognized by their straightened tail. If the animal is healthy, its neck is curved towards its abdomen.
Storing crayfish in a humid environment
Although these are river inhabitants, they are able to survive outside the water. It is necessary to maintain sufficient humidity and low temperature conditions.
Use a box and cover the bottom with damp moss. The container with holes should be spacious enough. Place it in a cool, draft-free storage area.
It is necessary to periodically spray the crayfish with a spray bottle. Dehydration will cause the release of lactic acid, which will cause pain to the animals.
How to Preserve Crayfish Using the Refrigerator
At home, you can keep live crayfish in the refrigerator. The ideal place is the vegetable department. First, the crayfish should be watered and placed in a container.
Important! Check the condition of the crustaceans periodically, as some individuals may not be able to withstand crowded conditions.
Storage in water
Storing crayfish in water is probably the best way to prolong their life as long as possible. Since in aquariums that have a compressor and a purifier, many people successfully breed crayfish, even for sale. But there will be more hassle.
The best option is a large aquarium, which has water filtration and a compressor. It is also desirable that there be greenery and places for the crayfish to hide. These are, of course, ideal conditions, and besides the fact that the crayfish can live for a long time, they can also grow a little.
How to properly cook crayfish at home - a recipe from Konstantin Ivlev
I bring to your attention another interesting method - this is a recipe from chef Konstantin Ivlev. He says that before cooking, you need to give them a good brushing and remove the esophagus, as a lot of dirt accumulates there. Some may not think this is very good, but it affects the taste of the crayfish, so whether to remove the esophagus or not is up to you, my dears.
Let's get started with the process itself, and for this we need to take:
- Cancers
- Lemon
- Salt
- Fresh dill, dried dill and dill seeds
- Peppercorns and ground
- Bay leaf
- Beer - 1 glass
- Butter - 1 tbsp. spoon
Cooking method step by step:
Step 1. Put a pan of water on the fire, add salt, spices, lemon cut into 4 parts, and pour in a glass of beer. You need to salt the water at the rate of 1 liter = 1 tbsp. spoon of salt. Cook the broth for 5 minutes.
Step 2. Then lower the live prepared crayfish, cook for 10 minutes, and at the end add a tablespoon of butter.
Step 3. Let it brew in the broth for 20 - 30 minutes.
Step 4. Remove with tongs and place in a cuvette or on a plate. Bon appetit!
Dry storage
River crustaceans can be stored without water. A shaded, damp, cool location that is protected from drafts may be suitable. Subject to these simple conditions, two crayfish will be able to remain alive for two days.
You need to take some kind of box or drawer with small holes. If there is no moss on the bottom, a wet cloth will do. The crayfish are laid out and covered with a damp cloth. Next, the box with the packed crayfish is taken out and placed on the balcony, in the bathroom, garage or basement. Room temperature plays a big role. Under no circumstances should it drop below 3. In addition, you need to spray the crayfish with clean water 2-3 times a day. If the crayfish dry out, they can feel severe pain and, as a result, quickly die.
How to bring crayfish home alive
They are delivered home alive, but during the delivery process there is a possibility of death of weak specimens. Transportation is carried out in wooden containers with holes for air access. A plastic box or a basket made of wicker is also suitable.
Moistened moss, algae, and grass are placed on the bottom. Individuals are placed in one layer. They are also covered on top. For this, a pre-moistened thin cloth or another plant layer is used.
The container is wrapped in a tarpaulin and covered with pieces of ice. During transportation it is necessary to avoid sunlight. If the delicacy is in transit for less than 4 hours, transportation in a damp bag is allowed. In case of long-term transportation, it is recommended to use thermal containers.
Storing in the freezer (freezing)
Of course, it is better to eat the crayfish while still hot, immediately after they are cooked. In particular, at the moment their taste and aroma are the best. But they are gradually decreasing.
If long-term storage of boiled crayfish is required, they can be placed in the freezer, in which they can remain for no more than a month. But this method has one big disadvantage, namely, defrosted crayfish meat does not have the aroma, taste, or softness that is inherent in fresh meat. Frozen cancer is much worse than fresh.
Shelf life of boiled crayfish
After boiling, crayfish can be stored on the middle shelf of the refrigerator for up to four days. At the same time, they do not lose their benefits and dietary taste. After being frozen, thawed crayfish become dry and tasteless. The protein in meat is destroyed, as a result of which its beneficial properties are lost.
It is not advisable to store such a valuable product in the freezer for too long. Frozen crayfish should be eaten immediately after thawing at room temperature.
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