Ordering crab leg clusters from grocery store

[Anonymous]

I order from Hooper's, they deliver to Giant stores all over the DMV https://hooperscrabhouse.com/crab-steam-truck-events/

[Anonymous]

NP. I grew up in an area where you couldn’t get fresh seafood. I know almost nothing about it. I order salmon and occasionally other mild fish, like tilapia, or dishes that include shrimp in restaurants, but salmon is the only thing I’ve ever prepared at home. I never order anything in restaurants that contains mussels because I literally don’t know how to eat them. When I’ve gone to crab houses in MD with my in-laws, I’ve just ordered crab cakes because there is nothing about eating steamed crabs that I find appealing.

Be nice to OP. She’s open minded about trying something different. That should be encouraged.

[Anonymous]

Go to seafood counter say I’d like X pounds of crab legs steamed with old bay please. You can request if you want just a little or extra old bay. Do the same thing for shrimp and lobster. If the seafood in the case looks questionable pick up a bag from th freezer next to seafood counter and hand it to the worker and ask them to steam it for you. There’s nothing wrong with grocery store seafood. You definitely do have other options for buying though, some places steam to order but not everywhere will.

[Anonymous]

Giant will steam seafood for free.

King crab legs are never "fresh" and always cooked -- they are cooked when they are caught and processed in Alaska.

MD blue crabs are best sold alive, but not many stores have them due to spoilage costs, unless they let you order ahead.

Trivia: MD blue crab is the only crab species available in soft shell and hard shell format for eating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Trivia: MD blue crab is the only crab species available in soft shell and hard shell format for eating.

Some of the best lobster I ever had was when I was able to get some shedders (soft shell) right off the boat in Maine a few years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:omg lady. Please order from ProFish. They have drop sites all over and a store, and can answer questions by email how to cook it. Grocery store seafood makes he cringe.

You do know that crab legs are harvested, cooked, and frozen all aboard the fishing vessel, right? The boats are out at sea for weeks or months at a time. The only difference between what you are getting and what I am getting is the price.