crabbing season, Maryland crabbers like CJ and Luke head out to the water in search of these prized crustaceans. Using over 1,500 pots set out in the water, they work tirelessly to trap as many crabs as possible.
In this video, viewers will get an up-close look at the daily routine of a Maryland crabber, from pulling up traps to sorting through the catch. They’ll learn about the unique conditions of the Chesapeake Bay that make it the perfect habitat for blue crabs and discover the importance of the crabbing industry to the local Maryland economy.
But the highlight of the video comes when the freshly caught blue crabs are transformed into delicious dishes. From crab cakes to steamed crabs with JO spices, viewers will get a taste of the culinary delights that Maryland is famous for. And if they’re feeling adventurous, they can try their hand at eating a whole crab, shell and all, just like the locals do.
So come along on this seafood adventure and discover how Maryland crabbers trap edible gold right off the coast of the Chesapeake Bay. It’s a journey that will tantalize the taste buds and showcase the hard work and dedication of those who bring these blue crabs from the ocean to the table.
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Work and I’ll attempt to eat an entire crab shell and all I’ve never eaten a whole crab like this and every bite is Magic first let’s back up our East Coast CrossCountry Seafood Journey continues as we leave New York City’s massive fton fish market and head Southward to
Maryland here blue crabs are a point of Pride and a huge part of this state’s culinary identity you can eat crab cakes all year round but if your friend likes you they will have a crab Feast with you these frigid Waters promote fat growth in the crabs resulting in a rich
Decadent bite but getting your hands on those decadent crabs is not so easy ah ah just kidding my finger was never in there ha today I’m on a mission to follow the Journey of a Maryland Blue Crab from the ocean FL do you know anybody who’s ever lost a finger uh
Pretty close to the processing facility how do you know if there’s any shell in there what do you have like a an x-ray and to its final destination being served up in a sandwich with legs at a local eery this is Behemoth right here it’s got legs sticking out I love it and
It all starts right here on the water now when I first was told I was going to be meeting crabmen I pictured this turns out they’re just normal humans who catch crabs but that’s cool too we’ll be hopping on CJ’s boat in just a moment just off the coast here he has over
1,500 pots set ready to trap them crabs let’s pull them up and see what we find right now we’re jumping aboard the floating vessel known as Miss Paula with 26-year crabbing veteran CJ his daily routine revolves around pulling up hundreds of traps and hoping for the best alongside Him Luke mcfadin a young
Buck with only eight years in the crabing game Luke nice to meet you CJ how many days a week are we out here so I hul gear usually four to 5 days a week the crabs don’t take a day off do you take a day off I
Do we are working to deeper water because this is the best time to catch crabs in Maryland these crabs are moving to deeper water to hibernate for the winter blue crabs are native to the Waters of the western Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico and more and 1/3 of
The USA’s blue crab comes from the Chesapeake Bay the largest Estuary in the country here the interplay of salt and fresh water create the ideal conditions for the animals we’re after every year during peak season from April to the end of November crabbers like CJ
And Luke do their best to cash in boom two crabs he takes a trap he shakes it out the crabs fall down add some bait and then that is going to go to the side just like lobsters in Maine crabs here are caught using traps also called pots
These these pots are designed to make it easy for crabs to enter and not so easy for them to escape a bait box or pouch is placed inside the trap to lure them in these crabs are extremely picky they want fresh chicken necks they want fresh
Fish they want the bass chicken necks is part of their natural diet it makes sense up to 25 traps are submerged in the water and connected to a line it’s like a free meal for the crabs but with a little bit of a catch and a catch is
Exactly what we’re after look at he crab I thought there we go oh my God this thing is gigantic holy cow look at this dude oh you got to hold him just like that if your fingers are too far underneath he’ll get a hold of you you
Ever get pinched all the all the time every day you know I’ve seen so much Seafood around the world mostly in Asia and I’ve seen so little in my own country and just the shape of the carrus how it shuts out like some kind of ancient Mongolian warrior wearing a
Helmet the claws the colors they’re really beautiful is this a male or a female that’s a male crab you can tell it looks like the Washington Monument the females have the capital Dome honestly that is the G version it just looks like a penis that’s what I say the
Washington Monument and the capital Dome kidfriendly show in a good day this time of year how many crabs are you pulling up it’s more than a couple less than a few for taex reasons you don’t want to say how many unlike other Fisheries negatively affected by climate change blue crabs
Are throwing a shell of a party in the warmer Waters with better breeding conditions in all but the crabbers still need to play it cool with regulations to keep the crab sustainable for the long run in Maryland everything is regulated in the beginning of the season it’s a 5
In male crab limit a crab under 5 and a/4 Ines right now is not legal unless it’s a peeler crab it’s only got to be 3 and 1/2 in what is a peeler crab that means it’s about to shed yeah so it’s going to show sign on its second swim
Pin that that crab is going to shed within a couple days once checked the unqualified crab gets a VIP return ticket to the ocean floor peeler crabs are brought to CJ’s own processing facility which will soon see what it feels so creepy larger crafts hit the
Market as big shots sold whole and ready to impress meanwhile the more humble sized crabs are sent to a processing facility where their meat is extracted Chesapeake brand Seafood sends about 6,000 crabs into containers chalk full of ocean iic Delights every single day first piles of crabs are cooked all the way
Through once boiled the succulent treasure within is meticulously extracted by the hands of skilled Pickers finally the meat morsels are sorted by grade then packaged shipped and prepared to undertake a gastronomic journey all around the USA But if you find yourself in the crab Utopia that
That is Maryland it would be a culinary transgression not to savor the state’s quintessential Delight the crab cake and what better way to elevate the experience than by enjoying it on a boat with the captain let me tell you a sad story when I was 22 I had almost no
Money I went to the Rainforest Cafe it’s a independent restaurant I’m not sure if you’ve heard of it and I ordered the crab cakes and then I paid I don’t know $25 it was a lot of money back then and it just was a tiny bread disc with maybe
The so of a crab I’m not even sure if any crab meat actually reached the cake then this is the opposite it’s big beautiful full of big chunks that you can actually see these are the best crab cakes I think I’ve ever seen crab cakes they’re either packed with flour and
Fillers or they’re made right Maryland crab cakes are not a bunch of fillers allow CJ to show you how it’s done first the base mixture we’re going to add the J crab cake mix you’re going to want exactly half a cup of mayonnaise perfect like a little hot sauce like a little
Mustard we wash Shire sauce little parsley for health now the main dish here we’re using jumbo Maryland crab meat the best on earth once the patties are forged to his exacting standards they stand ready for the flat top it’s big and heavy guys let’s dig in cheers oh
Man oh delicious big chunks of seasoning and when it’s warmed up like that it really just brings out the flavor of the crab I’m getting hits some mayonnaise I’m getting the seasoning a little bit of the the wor how do you say it the worst worst aister Shire that sauce in
There too but all of it playing beautifully off the crab the crab meat itself is super tender it’s almost like a fattiness to it what do you think I couldn’t be more pleased I’m so curious about where this crab ends up because when you’re talking about something like lobster it’s a
Premium product it’s something everybody wants and so people are taking the time and effort to ship it across the country and across the world but when it comes to Blue Crab I know the meat might make it everywhere but the crabs themselves the fresh animal the creature while even
Still alive where’s that getting to the crabs caught in Maryland in ches Peake Bay probably 90 or 95% are eaten in Maryland they do not leave because demand is that high so actually we ship a lot of crabs Louisiana Texas North Carolina South Carolina a huge portion
Of their crabs also come to Maryland so Maryland is just really the live blue crab eating capital of the world what is it about these blue crabs that people love so much it really is in a lot of ways like the heart and soul of Maryland
It’s like when you come to Maryland like you got to try a crab cake if your friend likes you they will have a crab Feast with you m if you come to Maryland and you don’t get to experience a crab Feast need better friends yeah get better friends when it comes to pint-sized
Crabs like these the task of breaking through their shells for each min ual morsel of meat can be tedious I’ve tried opening up small crabs I get through the claws when I get to the body I just give up but what if I told you CJ has found a
Solution W next we’re heading to his house where I’ll eat an entire crab whole including the shell poor guy is probably like what the I feel everything CJ’s house is like a crab laboratory a crab ratory with cages stacked up high and every corner serving as a different workshop for his crab
Experiments yet the true Treasures lie hidden Within his garage CJ right now we’re in your creepy crab laboratory this is where the magic happens we bring the peelers the crabs that are very close to molting or shedding their shells we put them in here and then when they shed out their
Shells and turn into soft crabs you help them out of the shell right into the frying pan the best eating crab you’re going to get that’s what we sell as a soft crab that would be eaten whole a crab doesn’t grow its shell rather it mols shedding the old skeleton squeezing
Its way out then forming a new one in a lifetime a blue crab mols about 20 times this crab shed last night and you can see here the crab can’t even hold its claws up it’s so soft that it’s just kind of hanging out this is the most
Valuable crab for me these softies can sell for over twice the price of a typical hard shell that’s why CJ undergos the tedious process of crab sitting what it feels so creepy it’s leathery I’ve never touched a crab like this oh you poor guy he’s looking at me
Like man if I had any stiffness to my claws I would bite you in the finger but you can wow that is a new one for me that’s really cool to see so in this instance you’re going to be eating the entire crab the claws the shell the
Carrus everything is that right yeah she eat everything we cut the face and the eyes off the devil and then the apron good I don’t want it looking at me yes it won’t be looking at you CJ’s approach to soft shell crab cooking is pure Simplicity treating it much like a premium steak
Onto a hot Skillet it goes with butter and a Sprinkle of Jo seasoning this is the main event but before we sink our teeth into that we’re having a full-on crab boil just toss today’s catch into a giant steamer sprinkle it with a dash of Joo seasoning Let the Fire kick in and
You’ll know it’s feasting time when those crabs blush into a vibrant red Hue this reminds me of what I’ve experienced in the South when I went to Alabama and they have a crawfish boil and they have just a giant vessel filled with 10,000 crawfish they put it out all
Over the table it’s kind of like your version of that maybe that’s their version of this yeah cheers to that this is a classic Maryland summertime scene right here there a PA Krabs let’s go at it with some friend let’s get into it I like starting with
The claws what is the strategy here I’ll just try to break it you know on the table that way oh that worked wow this meat looks incredible it’s kind of dark delicious juicy sweet that jail seasoning tastes like Pepper or tastes like Cayenne that’s real good now if I
Want to get into this body how would I do that all right pick the apron take that the Washington Monument yep and then you’re going to pull top shell off right there that’s actually an undeveloped shell so that crab was going to shed in the near future you can eat
That and that is good M oh yeah it’s really good wo completely different experience it’s griny salty super fatty and even a touch bitter depending on what’s connected to there so this is the hard shell crab this is something that’s a little bit more familiar to me even
Though I’ve not had it with the seasoning or done up in this way incredible but next the soft shell crab a crab that just shed yesterday it’s basically as soft as it can be the meat it still has that leathery feel to the outside it’s still flexible it’s very
Disconcerting it’s got legs but tantalizing at the same time cheers wa very different than the crab cakes or the hard crabs that is so different so the legs have their own kind of taste flavor to them the body itself this is wild this is one of the most delicious
Things I’ve ever had in my face I get why you have a super creepy garage now absolutely what’s wild too is if you eat a hard shell crab like this I mean the real estate there’s not that much left compared to eating the entire soft shell
Crab and every bite is Magic it’s like juicy I know that sounds weird but it’s almost like a casing on like a sausage you know yeah that’s a great way to explain it cuz you take a bite the skin is kind of tight around the outside and
Your teeth break through that you get to that juicy core on the inside they’re delicious that’s got to be one of the better eating things coming out of this Bay for sure how often are you doing something like this this is all potential profit right here I I can’t
Afford to eat my crabs can hide don’t get high on your own supply of crabs CJ soft show crabs become a better value when sold to restaurants where they can turn into culinary gold like here at Ocean Odyssey Crab House a seafood restaurant that’s matched a love
For seafood with a sense of adventure with their sandwich known as Bay on a bun the unique thing about this sandwich is it encapsulates uh the best things that the Bay has to offer from crabs oysters and fish first we’re going to dredge the fish a little egg wash and
Our seasoned flour then the same with the soft crab and the oysters we’ll go straight into the flour all treated to a nice long FY now it’s time for the build all right so we have our Toasted Bun start with a bed of mixed greens and we’ll stack the
Catfish followed by the soft crab and the oysters of sauce so this is a tomao aoli and merry rose sauce and that is how you make the bay on the bun this is a massive a leviathan it’s got legs sticking out I love it joining me ocean Odyssey co-owner Travis if I’m not
Mistaken this this is your brainchild yeah it’s not just the soft shell inside it we’ve got fish we’ve got oysters everything on the bay inside this bun let’s go for it m oh yeah that is a whole different experience so yesterday I had a sof shell crab that had just shed the night
Before and then it was pan seared and it was soft tender juicy I would compare it to a spicy cheddar Johnsonville BR that was half filled with crab meat that’s my white trash comparison but this is all fried so it’s changes the texture a little bit sure you get that extra
Crunch it’s tough to tell in the moment what you’re chewing on there’s like some rinier bites that I think must be the oyster there’s some really hot chunks which I think must be the fish cuz it’s holding all that heat but that crab still has that skin on the outside it’s
Partially crispy still partially like a sausage skin that snaps as you chew through it exactly plus you got the sauce nice and creamy bringing it all together and a little bit of vegetables you know for fiber that’s right I guess you need some vitamins in there tell me about being a a seasonal
Restaurant cuz this is kind of new to me and something that it feels unexpected for the USA because if anybody has a successful business people on the outside are like why isn’t a franchise yet why don’t you have five locations why aren’t you working 100 hours a week
Meanwhile you shut the doors every winter we do we’re a crab house that’s a big part of what we are you know the crab season is from April until sometimes December November now that’s the harvesting season so if they’re in the Chesapeake Bay we’ve got them if
They’re not if they’re moving which they do or if it’s a winter time and they’re buried in the mud we kind of go into Nation just like the crabs do what begins as a small scuttling Marvel of nature transforms into a Powerhouse resource leaving an indelible mark on
The state of Maryland the blue crab isn’t just a piece of cultural heritage drawing in tourists who are eager to savor the state’s distinct Seafood but it also serves as an economic gold mine for hardworking locals you’ve both been doing this a good chunk of time and a
Lot of people they just see the end product whether it’s at the store or in a restaurant but they don’t really have access to the first step of source in these ingredients so for you guys what would you say are the biggest challenges that you and other crabmen are facing
Our profit margin has shrunk over the last you know 20 years since I started doing it because everything has increased exponentially but the price of crabs has only gone up kind of slowly I agree I mean it’s you know really it’s how much money can you get for what you
Can catch because with a lot of the new regulation coming into play you’re going to hit caps here eventually and so like the approach I’ve taken is a little different than most guys I really just wanted to sell more grabs you know so I catch all my own like CJ
But I sell all my own direct to the customer for both of you you both have had this journey on social media online where do you hope that ends up like I always say something for my grandkids to see uh down the line they’ll get to know
What I did I just saw social media as a really really good way to build a customer base but you know also give an insight into who catches your food how your food actually gets from where it is to the table you know and bridge that kind of Gap because it’s something that
People have no idea you know and they don’t realize that like in America there’s still a really strong sustainable healthy commercial fishing fleet you know most people think a fisherman is people that just want to take take take and leave nothing behind but to us we’re dependent on the
Resource and so we’re the ones that are most interested actually in finding ways to make sure that we can go to work and feed our families if you love Indian food then you’re going to love our new channel best ever food Indian subscribe now for weekly videos showcasing the most unique street food
From around the country this one uh has given up he’s not fighting anymore I can hold it however no I’m just kidding okay definitely not going to want to get bit I’m going to try it just kidding my finger was my finger was never in there ha all I put that in
The intro so the average person in here in one day about how many crabs do you think they’re going through probably anywhere from like six bushel nobody knows what a bushel is except for you okay 60 crabs are in a bushel Okay cool so you gave me
An SAT Math problem yep if Andre has six bushel and each bushel has 60 crabs 480 so that’s almost 500 crabs per day as you’re eating the crabs you’re going to get more and more seasoning on your hands so then you’re transferring that with the meat to
Your face yeah face I lost train of thought sorry you’re doing great the main dish here we’re using jumbo lump oh boy yep I knew that was going to godam it can we start from the beginning good how do you know if someone is productive enough it’s a genuine question it’s kind
Of a magical place you know Santa Claus has his little elves making toys but I would rather come to this kind of a workshop where you can walk away with a big tub of crab meat it’s a beautiful thing CJ earlier you said that this crab
The Maryland crab is the best in the world why do you say that because I caught it okay Luke what do you think I agree I mean it’s you know right where it came from you know we caught it right from our boats right to right to the
Plate you know what I mean I just feel like you two might be biased we may be a little biased maybe boom guys that is the end of this video and that is everything you’ve ever wanted to know about blue crabs here in Maryland Maryland crabs best crabs in the world
As V on by the people of Maryland I think they’re by us anyways I thought it was incredible and I had one of the most unique crab experiences of my life here having a whole soft show crab pan seared it was delicious I hope you enjoyed it
Guys I want to say thank you to everybody who partook in this video we had a great time otherwise guys that is it for this one thank you so much for watching I will see you next time peace all right walk away all cool and Casual I’m stuck I’m stuck help
Me come me out
Video “How Maryland Crabbers Trap Edible Gold!!” was uploaded on 02/25/2024. Watch all the latest Videos by Best Ever Food Review Show on Gretopia