• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Cooking in The Keys
  • Blog
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Blog
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact
  • Follow

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Blog
    • Recipe Index
    • About
    • Contact
  • Follow

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Seafood Recipes

    Florida Keys Stone Crabs

    Published: Jun 8, 2022 · Modified: Oct 23, 2022 by Felice Kaufman · Leave a Comment

    stone crab claws

    Wild-caught stone crab claws are from right here in the Florida Keys. The iconic dish, Stone Crabs with Mustard Sauce, is available in almost restaurant in the Keys, in season, which runs from October through May. The tender succulent crab claws are a real treat and one of the most delicious foods you will ever eat!

    stone crabs online

    How to Eat Stone Crab Claws

    Stone crabs are steamed immediately after harvesting and they are graded by size: Colossal, Jumbo, Large, and Medium. Eating the crabs is a real culinary delight and something I look forward to every year.

    The claws are cracked just before serving in the restaurants. When purchasing stone crabs at the fish store, the fishmonger will crack them for you. Just bring them home, refrigerate, and enjoy them within 24 hours.

    How Do I Crack Stone Crabs at Home?

    When you buy stone crabs at your fish market, the claws are already cooked for you. You can bring them home uncracked and crack them open with a stone crab cracker, nutcrackers, a stone crab mallet, or a big knife. To use a big knife, place the flat side of a chef's knife on the flat side of the claw and press down a few times as if you are smashing a clove of garlic. If you're buying them fresh, place in a plastic bag and refrigerate them in the back of the fridge. Consume them within 24 hours for maximum flavor.

    You can pick up a stone crab cracker, a lightweight aluminum device, when you pick up your stone crabs at Key Largo Fisheries. This is an appliance that will crack the crabs with ease. Place the crab in the device, as shown, and lightly press down on the joints. The shells will slip right off.

    stone_crab_cracker_device

    How Big are The Crabs?

    When harvested from their traps on the ocean floor, the claws are pulled from crabs that measure at least 2 ¾ inches long, and their bodies are thrown back into the warm water to regenerate (it takes 18-24 months to grow back) and maintain their populations.

    Where Can I Get Stone Crabs Shipped To Me?

    You can purchase frozen stone crab claws with mustard sauce online from The Key Largo Fisheries in Key Largo. They will arrive in one day packed on dry ice. Of course, you can also come to the Keys, which is definitely a better idea!

    The succulent meat is a real delicacy. One and a half pounds should generously feed two adults.

    Are They Expensive?

    According to Business Insider, stone crabs are one of the most expensive kinds of seafood you can buy. At $30 per pound for medium claws and up to $95.00 for colossal claws, the price of stone crab claws has been steadily climbing over the years.

    florida keys stone crabs

    What Size Claws Should I Buy?

    They all Taste Great! Buy the ones you can afford. Your meal can get very expensive if you insist on the Jumbo or Colossal size claws and the taste, to me, is barely different from Medium to Jumbo.

    Nutrition in Stone Crabs

    Fortunately, Stone Crabs are low calorie, low carb, gluten-free, keto, paleo, and Kaufmann diet compliant. With 31 calories and 6 grams of protein, steamed stone crabs is the meal of champions. Skip the mustard sauce and enjoy with melted butter and a squeeze of lemon over the top.

    With a little cauliflower rice on the side, and you have a perfect low-carb meal!

    • Calories: 31
    • Total Fat: .4g
    • Cholesterol: 21.5 mg
    • Sodium: 107 mg
    • Total Carb .3g
    • Sugar: 0
    • Protein: 6.3g

    If You Like Fresh Seafood, Try These Recipes:

    • Seared Mahi with Basil Butter
    • Florida Keys Pink Shrimp Cocktail
    • Pan-Fried Yellowtail
    • Blackened Swordfish
    • Pink Shrimp Salad

    More Florida Seafood Recipes

    • Peel and Eat Shrimp Recipe
    • Blackened Shrimp with Butter Sauce Recipe
    • Green Mussels Recipe
    • Blackened Swordfish (Gluten-Free, Paleo)

    Sign up for our newsletter!

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    You must be logged in to post a comment.

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    felice kaufman

    Hi! I'm Felice. Join me on my culinary adventure in Key Largo, Florida, where I eat, cook, shop, and travel for fresh fish, fruit, vegetables, and more!

    LEARN MORE →

    Trending Recipes

    • Pan Seared Chicken Breasts
    • Pan Fried Yellowtail Snapper
    • Roasted Baby Eggplant Poppers
    • Authentic Spanish Rice Recipe

    Seasonal Recipes

    • Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Arugula
    • Homemade Green Pea Soup
    • Roasted Baby Eggplant Poppers
    • Oven Roasted Cauliflower and Carrots

    Keep in Touch

    Join our free email list

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Cooking in The Keys

    • About
    • Blog
    • Recipes
    • Privacy Policy
    • Photo Use Policy
    • Contact

    Copyright © 2023 Cooking in The Keys | All rights reserved