Many people love the tasty and juicy meat of boiled crayfish. You can buy it frozen, but most people prefer to cook it live. It is not always possible to cook crayfish immediately after catching. Therefore, you need to know how to preserve their freshness and taste for a long time. How to store crayfish at home? Let's figure it out.
Transportation of crayfish
After the crayfish are caught or purchased, they need to be delivered home so that they can not only enjoy this delicacy themselves, but also treat their friends and relatives.
Therefore, in order to bring them safe and sound, you need to resort to one of the methods we recommend.
When transported in a box made of plywood or cardboard, crustaceans will not last long. This is the worst way. Maximum two hours.
In clean water taken from a river or well for about 4 hours.
In a thermos with clean and cold water for about half a day.
How to store boiled crayfish at home is no less important than their transportation, especially if the catch is significant.
Transport box
Dry method
An easier option for keeping crayfish alive is to place them in a cool place with high humidity. A cellar, garage, or glassed-in balcony would be suitable. Despite the fact that these arthropods are aquatic animals, they can manage without water for several days: their gills are hidden inside. A wet rag is placed at the bottom of a plastic box or wide bowl, and the container is covered with wet gauze on top to prevent the crayfish from spreading. You cannot cover the top with something tight, such as a lid: animals need a constant flow of air. Periodically they need to be sprayed with water from a spray bottle - this way they will last longer.
Refrigerated option
And finally, the easiest way to save. There is a refrigerator in every home. All you need to do is empty the vegetable compartment. Before storing crayfish alive in the refrigerator, they should be rinsed well under a cool shower. Firstly, this will somewhat reduce their activity. Secondly, it will prepare for changes in living conditions. Thirdly, it will wash away dirt and debris brought from the river, which can introduce unnecessary aromas into the food storage area.
The box in which your loot will be stored is lined with a bag. It must be clean and not taken from other products. Crayfish are placed belly down; you can make several layers, the main thing is that the height of your “pyramid” does not exceed ten centimeters. There is no need to close the box, except that you can tighten it with gauze for the first time. Literally in an hour or two, the crayfish will perceive the surrounding situation as the approach of winter and will fall into a kind of hibernation. Their activity will be reduced to a minimum, but they will remain alive. At this point, you can remove the gauze and continue to store the potential beer snack in an open container.
Every day the arthropods will need to be taken out and given a cold shower. At the same time, overstocking the catch will give you the opportunity to remove weaker individuals that did not survive the “wintering” period. Unfortunately, this storage method does not last very long. 4-5 days, a week at most - this is all the time that is given to you to eat the catch.
Let's not argue, any of the methods describing how to keep crayfish alive is quite troublesome. However, such worries will allow you to indulge in delicious delicacies for several days
And if you choose the “water” method, you can save the delicacy until a distant but very important celebration for you. So your efforts will pay off with the delight of your friends who received a delicious snack out of season
Additional terms
If you are thinking about how to keep crayfish alive for longer than a week, take care of feeding them. Without it, they will begin to lose weight and eat weaker relatives. It is better to give something vegetable as food: raw potatoes, pea pods, hay. In this case, the crayfish will become less aggressive, and losses resulting from skirmishes will noticeably decrease. Of course, if there is enough food for everyone.
Not all arthropods tolerate long periods of captivity. Dead individuals must be removed immediately: the smell is disgusting, and the corpses poison the water. It’s easy to determine culling: if the tail is not tucked in, but stretched out, then you have a candidate for the trash bin.
Are dead crayfish dangerous or not, is it possible to cook, boil and eat something from them?
Dead crayfish can be very dangerous and harm the human body! Therefore, they are cooked only when they are still alive! This is an important rule that all lovers of these delicious crustaceans must adhere to. Let's take a closer look at why you can't cook dead crayfish
Firstly, it is unhygienic and sometimes even dangerous to health
Let's take a closer look at why you can't cook dead crayfish. Firstly, it is unhygienic and sometimes even dangerous to health.
How to catch crayfish
Crayfish is a gorgeous dish, but, unfortunately, in our time it is not available to everyone. Even in ancient times, boiled crayfish were a decoration for the tables of only noble people, because the price for them was always high and poor people could not afford them. In this regard, even in our time, little has changed, and although they have already learned how to breed them in artificial conditions, they are still expensive. Many people catch them in reservoirs with their own hands, but only a few can do this, while the rest have to buy them. In addition, crayfish in our polluted water bodies are found less and less often, and the crayfish fisher needs to find a body of water in which crayfish are found, and the water in it must meet the conditions for the existence of these animals. Next, you need to wait until it starts to get dark to start crayfish hunting. Many people do not know that during the day crayfish are passive and sit in holes and come out of them at nightfall.
What do crayfish eat?
Crayfish leave holes to find something to eat, but since they cannot boast of high speed of movement and travel over long distances, they eat everything they come across. Often their diet consists of various remains or plankton. Crayfish are real scavengers that clean the reservoir and prevent the water from deteriorating due to the decomposition of the corpses of fish and other inhabitants of the reservoir.
Dead crustaceans on the river bank
When you catch a sufficient number of crayfish, do not delay, but start cooking them as quickly as possible. Caught crayfish are stored in special cages with running water, constantly making sure that there are not too many of them in it. Individuals caught in close quarters can simply maim and crush each other and often simply kill each other.
What happens if you eat dead crayfish?
Hidden in the lifestyle of representatives of these crustaceans is the answer to the question that worries almost everyone, whether it is possible to boil dead crayfish.
Of course, if they were cooked alive, then they are very tasty and even healthy. But the dead ones are not only not so tasty, but can even pose a certain threat to human health.
The main reason is their diet. Since crayfish do not disdain carrion, many different, including quite harmful, microbes accumulate in their organs, some of which are extremely dangerous. After death, crayfish carcasses quickly decompose and become rotten. This can be determined by an unpleasant specific smell. But if you cook and eat a dead crayfish, you may, at best, get poisoned. In the worst case, the consequences can be much more severe.
Improper storage of crayfish will lead to the death of many individuals.
Many people, when boiling dead crayfish, add salt and various spices in the hope of eliminating the unpleasant smell. But this is also dangerous, because even if you can cope with the smell, you will not be able to improve the quality of the meat and kill harmful microorganisms. As a result, do not regret wasted time and effort, but simply throw away your catch and do not put your health in danger.
We hope that, as a result, you should not cook dead crayfish, you understand. Don't try to experiment! The price of such experiments is your health or the health of those you will treat. It’s better to work hard and catch more crayfish, or just spend more money and buy it.
Buy crayfish only at specialized points and only alive. those. they must move. This will be a 100 percent guarantee that you will receive not only pleasure, but also health benefits.
Bon appetit, eat only quality foods!
This video explains how dangerous crayfish can be if they were caught in a polluted water body and how to cook them so as not to become infected.
How to store live crayfish at home
You can store crayfish at home using wet and dry methods. They have their own characteristics, which we will discuss below.
Regardless of the chosen method, consider the general recommendations:
- Only living, active individuals are subject to storage. Crayfish with a straightened neck or that have floated up should be discarded;
- use ceramic or glass dishes;
- so that they live longer.
"Wet" methods
You can preserve fresh crayfish at home longer in an aquarium equipped with a pump and compressor. (It is unlikely that it will be possible to raise small crustaceans in such conditions. Crayfish are far from peaceful creatures. They are omnivores, and they are also decent gluttons. In a confined space, small individuals in the presence of large ones will have no chance, since there is nowhere to escape. They will eat them for their sweet soul, and neither a compressor nor complementary foods will help.)
At home, you can save crayfish in an aquarium. To fill it, use river or well water (you can bottle it if you trust your supplier and don’t spare money for the crayfish)
You can organize storage of crayfish for 1-2 days in the bathroom. Fill the container with cold water and add the crustaceans there. Remember to change the liquid and feed the animals daily. If arthropods try to get out of the bathtub, it means that the conditions are not suitable for them (for example, there is not enough oxygen in the water).
You can store crayfish in the bathroom. Free space and timely nutrition will allow you to preserve arthropods for up to 2 days
You can store crayfish in a large container. Simply fill an enamel or ceramic pan or basin with water (no chlorine) and place the animals in it. The shelf life of crayfish in confined spaces is 2-5 days.
"Dry" method
Fresh crayfish also keep well in dry conditions. To do this, prepare a wooden box covered with a damp cloth. Place the arthropods in it, cover the top with wet moss and close the lid. Place the box in a dark, dry place. Periodically spray crustaceans with cool water without chlorine (preferably river water) from a spray bottle.
Crayfish should be stored in this way for no more than 2 days at temperatures up to +3 ℃.
In a refrigerator
You can also preserve fresh arthropods in the refrigerator, for which you need to follow a number of simple steps:
- Wash the crayfish under running water (preferably river).
- Place them in a plastic container and cover with a damp cloth.
- Place the container in the refrigerator on a shelf where the temperature is maintained at a constant temperature of 0℃.
- Periodically check the condition of arthropods and remove dead specimens.
The exact shelf life of live crayfish at home depends on the initial state of the arthropods, the conditions and duration of transportation, as well as on the conditions created.
Basic rules for storing live crayfish
Remember that only active crayfish can be kept at home for a long time. If they don't move much or are lethargic, cook them as quickly as possible. If, during storage in water, one of the crayfish floats to the surface or straightens its neck, you need to get rid of it. Most likely, he is sick, and his meat cannot be eaten. Use glass or ceramic containers. Stainless steel will also work. To transport large quantities of crayfish, use wooden boxes covered with a wet cloth or large wet bags.
Don't forget that, like all living organisms, crayfish eat regularly. Otherwise, they lose weight, lose activity and start eating each other. For long-term storage of live crayfish, constantly feed them with small fish, worms, raw potatoes, and pea stems.
How to choose crayfish
Before we talk about storing crayfish, let's figure out what you should pay attention to when buying them:
It is best to buy live crayfish. The shelf life of a cooked product is very short, and it is impossible to determine the cooking date by eye; Living crayfish, depending on the region where they live, temperature and water quality, can have a variety of colors - from blue and gray to marsh and dark brown. The color should be uniform; in optimal conditions for crayfish - fresh water with a temperature of +15 to +25 ℃ - they should behave very actively, constantly move and move their limbs. The most active individuals have tucked tails, they quickly crawl and pinch. If the crayfish falls asleep, its muscles relax and the tail straightens out. Sedentary and “dormant” crayfish are a bad sign; you don’t need to buy them. Their stomachs contain bacteria, which, when their metabolism slows down, begin to actively multiply and cause the process of rotting.
It is easy to get poisoned by such crayfish; pay attention to the water in which the crayfish are located - it should be transparent. This suggests that it is changed frequently
Fresh water is saturated with oxygen and prevents crayfish from suffocating; choose individuals with intact shell and claws, without chips or growths; estimate the size of the crayfish - the tastiest are those 15-20 cm in length and weighing about 100 g; By the density of the shell, you can determine how fleshy the crayfish will be. During the molting period, its shell is soft to the touch and bends when pressed. If you knock on it and hear a dull thud, then the crustacean has very little meat inside. If the shell is dense, does not bend and does not leave dents, and the sound when tapped is clear, then the crayfish is fleshy; If you decide to buy boiled crayfish, pay attention to their color - it should be bright red. The shelf life of chilled boiled crayfish in an airtight container will be no more than 4 days.
How to freeze
A popular method of preparing crayfish is freezing them alive. By nature, the cancer’s body is designed in such a way that an individual can fall into a state of suspended animation during the winter, when the river freezes to the very bottom. In the spring, the cancer emerges from hibernation and continues its healthy life.
Considering this factor, it is important to understand that freezing freshwater should not be rapid; the temperature of the water during harvesting in this way decreases gradually. Crayfish are frozen together with water at a temperature of up to -20 C. The shelf life in the freezer will be 4 months.
After defrosting, the crayfish come to life; they must be boiled in broth according to the chosen recipe. Unawakened, dead individuals are thrown out; they cannot be eaten - this is dangerous to health, the meat of such crayfish is not tasty.
How to store live specimens
At home, several effective methods are used to store the most active individuals. But at the same time, arthropods must be in constant motion.
Preparatory stage for long-term storage
First, you need to throw away any surfaced crayfish, as well as those with straightened necks, if they are without water, as these sick animals can cause severe poisoning.
Prepare stainless steel, ceramic or glass dishes for storage.
Hungry crayfish need food in the form of small fish. If you do not provide them with an appropriate diet, they may begin to eat each other. To avoid crustacean cannibalism, animals must be fed if you are going to store them for a long time.
Storage in running water
Many lovers of crayfish meat are interested in how to keep crayfish alive at home, so that they can always enjoy a fresh product.
The best option for these purposes would be a large aquarium with a compressor and filter. It is advisable to provide the crayfish with a comfortable existence and organize them special shelters with greenery so that the arthropods can not only live for a long time, but also have time to grow a little.
An alternative to a large aquarium can be an ordinary bath, where the water needs to be changed once a day. It is necessary to feed crayfish based on their natural preferences. The diet of arthropods should include:
- Small fish.
- Common earthworms.
- Nettle.
- Pea stems.
- Raw potatoes.
If someone could not withstand artificial conditions and died, then such individuals must be immediately removed and the water changed. In optimal bath conditions, crayfish usually live for about five days.
Another option for keeping it can be any, but not aluminum, container with natural water where crayfish were caught. The diet at home is not varied. The same fish, potatoes or worms. However, arthropods will not be able to live in such conditions for more than two days.
Important information! Tap water is usually chlorinated, which means death for crustaceans. Therefore, keep your pets in a clean water environment, taken from a well or river. Otherwise, you won’t have to taste the delicious delicacy.
Keeping in dry conditions
River crustaceans can do quite well without water. To do this, they will need a place protected from drafts, where there is sufficient humidity, shade and coolness. If these conditions are met, crayfish can live peacefully for two days.
You can also use a box or box with small holes. Cover the temporary shelter with moss or a wet rag, and then place the crayfish there and cover with a damp rag. After which the container with crayfish can be taken to the basement, garage, bathroom or balcony.
The temperature in the room plays a big role. It should not fall below three degrees above zero. In addition, crustaceans need to be sprayed with clean water several times a day to prevent them from drying out. Otherwise, the arthropods will quickly die.
Low temperature for arthropods
You can store crayfish in the refrigerator in the vegetable compartment so that later they do not move much, while maintaining their natural qualities. The temperature in this compartment is quite suitable for the arthropods to remain in good shape. Proceed as follows: wash the crayfish under the tap and put them in a strong bag. There is no need to seal it, since crustaceans will not be able to crawl due to the fact that they become inactive at temperatures below ten degrees. This method will help preserve crayfish for five days.
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.
How to store live arthropods
Only intact, active arthropods are stored for a long time. Sedentary individuals should be boiled immediately. Dead crayfish have a flat abdomen. They are immediately thrown away. Live crayfish at home are stored in the following ways:
- in a spacious container filled with water;
- in a cool, damp place;
- in a refrigerator.
Important!
You should not use aluminum containers for storing arthropods. The metal oxidizes and spoils the water, poisoning living inhabitants. In such a container they will die in just 30 minutes. Crustaceans can be placed in an enamel bucket, ceramic, glass or stainless steel container.
Imitation of the usual habitat
If crayfish are placed in an aquarium and conditions close to natural are created, they will live for several days. It is recommended to fill the container with water from the river, but well, drinking or settled water will also work. It should be changed daily or saturated with oxygen using a special pump and compressor. Stones are poured onto the bottom and algae is attached. The aquarium is placed in a shaded place. The shelf life of crustaceans in this way is 4-5 days.
Instead of an aquarium, you can use a bathtub or other large container. To keep crayfish alive as long as possible, they are fed once a day. In this case, they will not fight, will remain unharmed and will grow. You cannot keep arthropods in tap water, as it contains metal and bleach impurities. They must be inspected frequently and dead individuals must be removed immediately.
Storing arthropods in a humid environment
Crayfish can live for a long time without water if left in a cool, damp place. Arthropods should not be exposed to sunlight. In such conditions they can be kept for 1-2 days. The method of storing crustaceans without water includes the following steps:
- Place wet rags, grass or moss at the bottom of a wooden box. The container should be spacious enough.
- River inhabitants are placed in a box and a damp cloth is placed on top.
- The container is covered with a lid and placed in a cool, ventilated room: basement, garage, bathroom or cellar. In winter, a box with arthropods can be placed on a ventilated balcony.
- During the day, crayfish should be sprayed with clean, non-chlorinated water 3-4 times. They need to be fed when stored for more than 12 hours.
Important!
Crustaceans can only be stored in a “dry” way in a room where the temperature is not lower than +3°C.
Storing live arthropods in the refrigerator
It is not recommended to freeze live crayfish. Since arthropods eat carrion, the organism begins to decompose immediately after it dies. If desired, the crayfish can be placed in the refrigerator, for which you need to do the following manipulations:
- Arthropods are washed with clean water.
- They are placed in a plastic bag or plastic container, then covered with a wet rag. Crustaceans do not need to be corked, because... at low temperatures they freeze and do not spread.
- The container is placed in the vegetable compartment, where the temperature is 0…+1°C. The shelf life of arthropods is 3-5 days. It depends on their initial condition.
- Crayfish need to be constantly monitored, since not all individuals tolerate low temperatures and crowded conditions equally well. Dead inhabitants are removed.
Storing boiled crayfish
The easiest way to preserve boiled crayfish is to place them in the refrigerator in the pan in which they were boiled, along with the broth. So carcasses can lie for up to 5 days. Do not use aluminum containers. Crayfish can be stored without broth. Take them out and place several in food containers. In such conditions they can also be kept for up to 5 days, but the meat will lose its juiciness.
Crayfish are also stored in the freezer. The shelf life of the carcasses will last up to 1–1.5 months. Place them in portions in bags or containers and fill them with the broth left after cooking, then put them in the freezer. You can also use vacuum bags. Place the crayfish in them, pump out the air and put them in the freezer. It is best if it has a dry and quick freeze function.
Crayfish meat is juicy and soft immediately after cooking. When stored in the refrigerator or freezer, it becomes dry and tough.
You can store boiled crayfish in the freezer unassembled. To do this, separate the claws and neck. Usually the back is thrown away because it takes up a lot of space and there is not enough meat in it. Place the claws separately in a plastic bag without cleaning them. Remove the meat from the necks and also put it in a bag. This way you can freeze a lot of crayfish while saving space. If desired, divide the cleaned meat and claws into small portions.
As you can see, keeping live crayfish at home is not difficult. Remember to avoid exposing them to sunlight. Also, constantly monitor their behavior and immediately isolate them from the general mass of immobile ones. You can also store the finished product. Don't forget that crayfish meat is juicy and soft immediately after cooking. In the refrigerator, and especially in the freezer, it tastes rubbery.
How to choose crayfish
First, make sure the crayfish are alive. If they are not active and do not move, it is better to abandon them. Another sign of a living cancer is that if you bend the tail, it presses back against the abdomen. If it just remains spread out, most likely the cancer is not fresh enough.
Choose only live crayfish and check each one before cooking. Photo: Laures/Depositphotos
You should not boil dead crayfish. If not fresh, the product is dangerous, as the crayfish quickly begin to decompose. This may cause food poisoning.
Fundamental Rule
So how do you keep crayfish alive? Each method is based on a single principle: no aluminum! Just half an hour - and the microelements present in the product are destroyed. In this case, live crayfish die, and boiled ones spoil. So an aluminum pan is not suitable for cooking, and you should not put ready-made arthropods in it.
Ceramic and stainless steel are considered ideal. However, an enamel pan/bucket is also suitable if there are no chips in them. Plastic is also suitable, but much less so: it tends to give the stored chemical smell.
How to prepare crayfish
To begin, place the crayfish in a basin or bucket. Fill with water at room temperature and leave for an hour.
Then rinse under running water. If crayfish are covered in sand, mud or other debris, use a brush to scrub everything off. Otherwise, the finished dish will not have a very pleasant taste.
Washed crayfish can be additionally soaked in milk. This way their meat will be more tender and juicy. To do this, pour the crayfish with full-fat milk so that they are completely covered and leave for half an hour. Afterwards, rinse thoroughly under running water.
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.
What you need to boil crayfish
The classic option is cooking in water, but instead you can also use milk or a mixture of water and light beer in equal quantities. Per kilogram of crayfish you will need an average of 2.5–3 liters of liquid. For cooking, choose a large, deep pan. Pour the liquid so that it occupies approximately half the volume.
Traditionally, when boiling crayfish in water, milk or beer, a bunch of fresh dill is added - preferably with umbrellas. They also add salt, about 1 tablespoon per liter of liquid. You can also add a few peas of black and allspice, and a bay leaf. When boiling crayfish in water, sometimes additionally add a whole onion and carrot, an apple cut into pieces, black currant leaves and a teaspoon of honey. All this will help make the dish even more tasty and aromatic.
When the boiled crayfish are infused in the broth, you can add about 50–100 g of butter. This makes the meat even more tender, with a pleasant creamy taste.
Conclusion
It makes sense to store live crayfish in water only during transportation to the pan (that is, 3-4 hours), and the water must be taken from the place of capture.
The storage option in a container (large saucepan or aquarium) is suitable if the water is from a well (without chlorine) - 2-5 days. The water will have to be changed very often so that it does not overheat and remains aerated. This matter is complex, inconvenient, unprofitable and the result is doubtful.
It’s easier to keep the crayfish “dry”, or even better – to cook it on the spot.
How to boil crayfish in water
Boil the water. Add salt, a bunch of dill and other ingredients to your taste. Wait a few minutes and carefully plunge the crayfish into the boiling water. Try to hold them by the backs so as not to injure your hands, and lower them head down. If you are cooking for the first time, use a towel or oven mitts for safety.
Boiled crayfish. Photo: OksanaYasiuchenia / Depositphotos
Cook small crayfish for 8-10 minutes, medium ones for about 15 minutes, and large ones for about 20 minutes. Afterwards, be sure to leave it to steep under the lid for 15 minutes.
