There’s nothing quite like feasting on a tasty crab dish. The satisfying crack when you take a bite. The taste of succulent crab meat dissolving on your tongue.

It’s one heck of an experience for seafood lovers that will leave you salvaging your leftovers so you can relish them the next day. But seafood is notorious for spoiling quickly, so what’s the best way to make crab stay fresh?

The good thing is that with the right storage techniques, you can live out this experience much longer.

Find out how to store leftover crab legs and meat for the freshest seafood and the safest consumption of this delicacy. 

How to Store Cooked Crabs

You should never leave your leftover crabs at room temperature for an extended period of time. They can develop bacterial growth and quickly go bad in this state, potentially causing food poisoning if consumed. 

For the best quality leftovers, crab legs should be eaten within a short time. Depending on when you plan to eat them, you can either refrigerate or freeze your leftover crabs as soon as possible. Freezing crab in vacuum-sealed bags or freezer bags is a great way for cooked crustaceans to last longer.

These are the best ways to save cooked whole crabs or crab meat, but they can also be used to store raw crab meat or raw crabs. Live crabs should be stored using simple methods (like a box with holes, depending on the type of crab), but they are meant to be cooked very soon after obtaining them.

Refrigerating Leftover Crab

Saving cooked crab in the refrigerator is pretty straightforward. The best way to store them is in an airtight container, like a plastic food storage container or glass jar. Consume your leftover crab legs within a day or two of refrigerating them, or store them in the freezer if you won’t be able to eat them within this time and want to save them for a long time. 

Freezing Leftover Crab

If you want to wait more than two days to consume leftover crab or wait a while to use up cooked crab meat, then freezing is the best method. You can either use a vacuum sealer or freezer bags for proper storage.

Vacuum-Sealing

Trim Crab Spikes and Claw Tips

Grab a pair of ultra-shears (kitchen scissors work just fine, too) and carefully cut off the claw tips and spikes from the cooked whole crab. 

This step helps prevent claws and spikes from poking holes in the vacuum-sealed bag. The jagged surfaces that are hard to cut can be rounded by simply applying a bit of pressure with your hands to create a light indent. 

Seal One End of the Vacuum Bag Material

After cutting, seal one end of your vacuum bag material to enable you to use it for bagging.

Place the bag material into the vacuum sealer and seal one of its ends according to the instructions on the vacuum sealer. 

Bag Your Cooked Crabs

Take your spike-free cooked crabs and compactly fit them into the vacuum bag.

Make sure all the claws are tucked inwards. Double-check the bag for any spikes or sharp surfaces poking through and trim again or re-bag if necessary. 

Vacuum Seal the Bag and Freeze

Carefully place your vacuum bag containing your cooked crabs into the sealer and lock it in. Set the machine to moist and tap the seal button for a perfect vacuum seal. 

Store your vacuum-sealed crab legs in the freezer for better preservation.

Freezer Bags

Wrap Cooked Crabs in Foil

When storing cooked crabs in freezer bags, start by wrapping each crab in heavy-duty aluminum foil to prevent holes in the bag, preserve its texture and taste, and prevent freezer burn. Damp paper towels can also be used as a wrap.

Place Wrapped Crabs In Freezer Bags

After wrapping your crabs in foil, place them neatly in a heavy-duty freezer bag, then seal it.

Get out as much air as possible for a good seal to prevent freezer burns. 

Date Your Freezer Bags and Freeze

Label your sealed plastic bag with the date on which you stored it so you know how long it’s been stored and how long it’s good for.

Once you’ve labeled your bags, store them in the freezer. 

Can You Store Cooked Crabs Without Freezing or Refrigerating?

Although refrigeration and freezing are the most common ways to store leftover crab, it’s not the only way to make this seafood last longer. Canning is an excellent way to store cooked crabs long-term that doesn’t involve freezing.

How to Can Cooked Crab

According to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, it is not recommended to can blue crab meat, which should only be frozen for long-term storage. Canning works well for King and Dungeness crabs.

Extract Crab Meat from Crabs 

After cooking your crabs, allow them to cool for about an hour or two, and then drain them. 

Remove and discard all the gills/lungs (also known as the ‘dead man’s fingers’), then carefully open up your crab and scoop and pick out as much crab meat as possible. Do not use or add leftover crab meat if you want the best results. 

Soak Crab Meat in Cold Water containing Vinegar and Salt

After prepping your crab, soak the crab meat in cold water containing four cups of vinegar or two cups of lemon juice and two tablespoons of salt per gallon of water. 

Crab meat should be soaked for two minutes.

Drain Crab Meat

Using a sieve, drain the crab meat and squeeze out excess moisture from the batch. 

You can squeeze twice, but make sure to squeeze gently each time.

Fill Jars with Crab Meat and Add Lemon Juice

Fill a half-pint jar with six ounces of crab meat, leaving an inch of headspace at the top of the jar. Then, add half a teaspoon of citric acid or two tablespoons of lemon juice.

If you’re working with a lot of crab meat, ensure your measurements are consistent across jars.

Add Hot Water to the Jars

Pour some hot water into the jar of crab meat and lemon juice, and make sure you maintain an inch of headspace during this step as well. 

Remember, measurements should be consistent across jars if you’re processing a lot of crab meat. 

Process the Crab Meat Jars

The last step is to process the half-pint jar of crab meat, lemon juice, and hot water in your canner for 70 minutes at 11 pounds pressure. 

Make sure your jars are sealed tight before placing them in your canner. 

How Long Do Stored Crabs Last?

Stored crabs can last a week to several months, depending on how you store them. Here’s an overview of how long various forms of crabs can last according to their storage method and shelf life.

State of Crab	Storage Method	Shelf Life
Raw Crab/Crab Meat	Iced	1 to 2 days
Raw Crab/Crab Meat	Refrigerated	3 to 5 days
Raw Crab/Crab Meat	Frozen in Ziploc	3 to 5 months
Raw Crab/Crab Meat	Frozen in Vacuum Sealed Bag	6 to 8 months
Cooked Crab/Crab Meat	Refrigerated	3 to 5 days
Cooked Crab/Crab Meat	Frozen in Ziploc	3 to 5 months
Cooked Crab/Crab Meat	Frozen in Vacuum Sealed Bag	6 to 8 months
Cooked Crab Meat	Canned (opened)	2 to 3 days
Cooked Crab Meat	Canned (unopened)	3 to 5 years

How to Reheat Crab Legs 

When you initially cook crab legs, steaming and boiling are the best methods and each cooking style comes with different advantages and drawbacks. Leftover crab legs can be eaten cold or reheated to enjoy their texture and flavors. 

When it comes to reheating, you can warm them up by boiling, steaming, baking, or microwaving.

• Boiling: This method involves filling a large pot with water on a burner, adding salt if necessary, and carefully submerging your crab legs into the heated pot to boil for about 10 minutes.
• Steaming: reheating crab legs through the steaming method involves filling a pot with about 2 inches of water and placing it on a burner with a steamer in the pot in which you’re to place your crab legs for 7 minutes; as soon as the water begins to boil.
• Baking: To reheat cooked crab legs using this method, preheat your oven to about 350°F, pour a little water into your baking dish, and then place your crabs on it. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 15 to 25 minutes.
• Microwaving: Wrap a damp paper towel around each crab and wrap each crab with plastic film. Finally, warm the crabs in the microwave for 2 minutes.

What to Do with Leftover Crab Legs

Apart from having delicious crab legs on their own as an appetizer or as part of a meal, you can incorporate this seafood into a dish to better enjoy it.

Use leftover crab legs in soup recipes or make crab cakes.

Remember, leftover crab legs aren’t meant to be stored for too long, so watch for signs of spoilage. Throw them away immediately if they start to develop a slimy texture or emit a sour or off smell.