How to store crayfish, can they be frozen alive or after boiling?

How to store crayfish, can they be frozen alive or boiled? This question concerns not only those who breed them.

Crayfish meat is a unique product that contains rare, but nevertheless useful elements for the human body, and it is very tasty. But if you handle it incorrectly, it will lose all its qualities. Therefore, it is important to know not only how to keep crayfish alive longer, but also to have, even a superficial understanding of its features, and then you can enjoy this delicacy to the fullest and with health benefits.

Methods for storing boiled crayfish

Freshly cooked crayfish is a tasty and healthy dish. It is often served as an appetizer. You should not put a lot of seasonings so as not to spoil the aroma and taste of the meat. However, if you couldn’t eat the entire portion at once, you can use simple storage methods:

• in the refrigerator, leaving the arthropods in the broth;
• in the freezer, using airtight containers as packaging.

Storage in broth

The crustaceans are boiled in a large saucepan, adding various spices to the brine: black peppercorns, dill, bay leaf. Live individuals are placed only in boiling water, then covered with a lid and the heat is reduced. In boiled crayfish, the color of the shell becomes orange-red. After removing the pan from the heat, let the prepared dish sit for 10 minutes. The remaining crayfish along with the broth can be placed in the refrigerator, but they must be cooled first. At a temperature of +5°C this product is stored for no more than 5 days. Before serving, be sure to warm up the crayfish.

On a note!

To make the arthropods tasty, the water must be well salted. For 1 liter of boiling water you must put at least 1 tbsp. salt.

How to properly freeze crustaceans

Can I eat boiled crayfish the next day?

Many people are wondering if it is possible

whether to store
boiled crayfish
and how long they are stored in this form.
Boiled crawfish
can remain edible for three to seven days if refrigerated in the same pan in which they were cooked, along with the broth.

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Useful qualities of crayfish meat

The meat of these amazing inhabitants of the bottom of our reservoirs has been valued at all times. And in our time, this is another one of the most profitable types of business. In addition to protein, it contains the following elements:

• Ca;
• Mg;
• Co;
• P;
• TO;
• vitamins B, C, D, E, K;
• folic acid;
• organic acid.

It also contains a high content of such an important element as iodine, which is a hundred times more when compared with beef!

Doctors recommend eating crayfish in order to normalize the functioning of the following organs:

• liver;
• pancreas;
• thyroid glands;
• strengthening immunity.

If we talk about cholesterol, which is so abundant in other types of meat, there is practically none in crayfish. In addition, it is low in calories, which is important for those who are on diets. 100 grams of product contains only 76 kcal.

However, it is worth knowing that it also contains sulfur, which has the ability to react with dishes made of aluminum. If you store crayfish in aluminum alloy containers, the meat will quickly lose its beneficial characteristics.

Without water

To store live crayfish without water at home, you need to arrange a dark, cool place for them. It is important to cover them with a damp cloth and protect them from drafts. They will stay like this for 2-3 days. Use a plastic or wooden box with holes for dry storage. Cover the bottom with slightly damp moss and place the crayfish on it. They can be left in the room, bathroom or cellar. Monitor the air temperature - it should not be lower than +3 °C. Thoroughly spray all individuals with water at least 3-4 times a day.

Rules for transporting live specimens

Crayfish are very sensitive to the environment - they die after 30 minutes of being in an aluminum container, and they can absorb the smell of the container if it is made of non-food plastic. What is suitable for transportation:

• Box made of plastic or wood. Place a damp cloth, seaweed or wet moss on the bottom. Arthropods are placed in one row so that weak individuals do not die; the top is quickly covered with a damp cloth. The life period under such storage conditions does not exceed 120 minutes.
• Wet canvas bag. The crayfish are placed in it and tied with braid. The journey should not take more than 4 hours.
• A thick, large bag of water. This method will help out when buying at a fair, market, or store. The duration of stay in it is no more than 1 hour.
• Special thermal containers made of polystyrene that help maintain the desired temperature for a long time. They are also covered with a cloth soaked in water. Transportation time is extended to 10-14 hours.

The place where the container will stand during transportation must be dark. Direct sunlight will have a detrimental effect on crayfish - they will overheat and eventually die.

It is necessary to ensure the inflow and outflow of air, since arthropods are very sensitive to the level of oxygen dissolved in water and at the slightest lack of it they begin to become restless. As the situation worsens, they die.

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.

How long do crayfish live in a bucket?

In water with proper care, crayfish

will be able to live no more than 3–5 days.
With the so-called “dry maintenance”, this period will be reduced to two days. How long
can you store live
crayfish
in the refrigerator? It turns out that this is not so little - up to 4 days, but only at a temperature not lower than 0ºС.

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Pilaf with crayfish and cheese

Pilaf with crayfish is fresh and original.

Cook 2 cups of rice until half cooked and combine it with half a cup of finely chopped onion. Boil the crayfish, chop 3 cups of crayfish meat and also add to the rice along with half a cup of grated cheddar cheese. Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Then heat the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add soy sauce to taste and 200 g of cream to the rice. Simmer for 5 minutes and remove from heat.

Garnish the finished dish with fresh herbs and crayfish tails.

How long do fresh crayfish last?

If you use the first method, you can count on the preservation of crayfish for 5-7 days. With the second method, individuals will live up to 4 days, with the third - up to 2 days.

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Storage in water

Storing crayfish in water is probably the best way to prolong their life as long as possible. Since in aquariums that have a compressor and a purifier, many people successfully breed crayfish, even for sale. But there will be more hassle.

The best option is a large aquarium, which has water filtration and a compressor. It is also desirable that there be greenery and places for the crayfish to hide. These are, of course, ideal conditions, and besides the fact that the crayfish can live for a long time, they can also grow a little.

Crayfish in an aquarium

Also, in order to prolong the life of crayfish, you can use a very ordinary bath (the water should be changed once a day, and the crayfish themselves should be fed). Ordinary earthworms and small fish are suitable for food. Plant foods include nettles, raw potatoes, and pea stalks. If you find dead specimens, remove them immediately and throw them away. Do not under any circumstances try to cook them. Crayfish can live in a bathtub for about five days.

Pour water from the same reservoir in which you caught the crayfish into some container, feed it in the same way as described in the previous version. However, crayfish will not be able to live in stagnant water for more than 2 days.

Important! Tap water is usually chlorinated and is therefore not suitable for crustaceans. You need a clean one from a river or well, otherwise you won’t be able to taste the delicious dish.

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.

A few secrets of cooking crayfish

If you buy live crayfish and don't plan to cook them right away, you can place them in water where they will float for two days. Monitor their activity and change the water more often. The second way to preserve invertebrates is to keep them in the refrigerator. By the way, never believe sellers who claim that crayfish are just sleeping. Only dying individuals fall asleep outside the refrigerator!

You can cook crayfish in different ways. If you pour a bottle of wine or even two into the water and flavor the resulting brine with rosemary, the taste of the crayfish will become noble and refined. Wine can be replaced with milk, kvass or beer, and sour cream and adjika can be added to the water. And some people boil crayfish in cucumber brine, obtaining a very bright and piquant taste. Don’t be afraid to over-salt the crayfish—their thick shell makes it difficult for salt to pass through. But, of course, more than 1 tbsp. l. There is no need to add per liter of water.

And be sure to try baking crayfish in a fire at least once - you will enjoy it immensely! To do this, rinse them well and dry them, wrap each one in foil and place in hot coals for 15 minutes. Crayfish cooked in the oven is delicious - in a baking tray with a small amount of vegetable oil. They need to be sprinkled with spices and baked for 20 minutes at 200°C.

And most importantly, how to cook frozen crayfish to preserve their taste and benefits. Defrost them naturally at room temperature, and then inspect them carefully. If the tail is bent towards the body, feel free to cook this crayfish. If the tail is straightened, it means that the crayfish was frozen already dead and it is better to throw it away.

Selection of crayfish and cooking recommendations

Only live crayfish should be selected for cooking. They must be stored and transported correctly. How can you tell if crayfish are really good quality? In appearance, the color should be dark green, brown or gray, with high arthropod activity visible (they should not be lethargic).

The shape of the claws and their size does not matter.

The meat of dead crayfish accumulates a large amount of toxins that cause poisoning. In difficult cases, eating an improperly prepared delicacy can result in intensive care or death.

Important! If crayfish have tucked tails, they were caught recently.

You need to pay close attention to how to properly store crayfish alive until you arrive home. Transportation from the place of purchase to your home is carried out in several ways:

1. In a box (wood, cardboard, plastic). Holes are made in the container in advance to provide oxygen to the arthropods. They should stay in the box for no more than two hours.
2. In a thermos with river water. Not to be confused with a household container for hot drinks. A thermos for transporting crayfish is sold in a fishing store. In it, the crayfish remain alive for 10–12 hours, but during this time the water is changed 3–4 times.
3. In a metal mesh. When catching crayfish, they put crayfish in it and lower it into the river. In this position they remain alive for about 6 hours.
4. In a plastic container with river water. A deep dish is filled with river water and live crayfish are placed inside. The dish is covered with a lid with holes for air intake. Transportation time in this way should not exceed 2 hours. To ensure a sufficient level of moisture, place damp grass or a rag at the bottom of the container. The top of the crayfish is sprayed with water from a spray bottle every half hour.

Note! During transportation (due to lack or absence of food), the crayfish begin to eat each other. To prevent this from happening, they are provided with food: raw potatoes, chopped nettles, pea stems and leaves (peas are not used).

Freezing

A large number of crayfish cannot be kept fresh or cooked for a long time, so in this case many people freeze them.

Freezing live crayfish is not recommended. In this case, after defrosting, you will cook already dead specimens, which will significantly affect their taste and texture - they will become “rubbery” and less tasty.

Cooked crustaceans can be frozen; to do this, follow the recommendations:

• Use airtight vacuum bags or plastic containers with tight-fitting lids to store specimens whole. In this case, they are packaged in several pieces for more convenient use in the future.
• It is better to freeze crayfish in the broth in which they were boiled. To do this, pour them into plastic buckets or containers and put them in the freezer.
• To lose less taste and properties of arthropods, quickly freeze them if you have such a mode in your freezer.
• It is recommended to place containers or sealed packages with crayfish in the compartment with fish or meat so that their smell does not penetrate to vegetables, fruits and other mildly smelling preparations stored in your freezer.

Whole crayfish can be frozen for up to a month. If you freeze them along with the broth, the shelf life of the delicacy increases to three months.

How to transport crayfish correctly?

Transport crayfish

also needs to be done correctly.
To do this,
wrap
crayfish transport crayfish
in a regular bag, you just need to wet it. If possible, you can purchase special containers for transportation that tend to accumulate cold.

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How to store live crayfish

These marine inhabitants quickly adapt to the external environment, so their life can be extended by 3-7 days. The main thing is not only water, but also food (peas or raw potatoes). If you do not feed them on time, hungry individuals begin to eat each other, regardless of what method of storing live crayfish you choose.

The optimal environment for crustaceans is river, bottled or well water.

In a damp room

You can extend the life of crayfish by a week by planting them in a box, which will go to a cool home cellar or pantry. Line the bottom of the container with a cloth well soaked in water. Periodically (2-3 times a day) the crayfish should be sprayed with cool water from a spray bottle, without allowing the shells to dry out completely. It is advisable to feed 2 times a day - morning and evening.

Crayfish do not tolerate chlorinated water, that is, taken from the city water supply.

In a refrigerator

Crayfish can live in such conditions for no more than 3-4 days. But, before storage, they must first be prepared:

• Be sure to rinse each crayfish under running cool water to remove river silt.
• In the compartment for vegetables and fruits (which is closed and ventilated), you need to lay a cloth soaked in water and add crayfish there.
• At least once a day, cancers need to be viewed and deleted, because An unpleasant smell spreads very quickly throughout the refrigerator.

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.
Crayfish are comfortable in cool conditions, but they still need to be sprinkled with water. It will not be possible to store them longer than stated - the arthropods will begin to lose weight.

Periodically check the condition of arthropods and remove dead specimens.

Imitation of natural environment

To ensure survival conditions, you will need a tank - a bath or an aquarium. It needs to be filled with water, but not tap water - river or well. The fluid in the reservoir needs to be changed daily - arthropods should not experience oxygen deficiency.

You can organize storage of crayfish for 1-2 days in the bathroom.

If crayfish are constantly trying to get out, you should think about the quality of the water: they instinctively try to leave bad conditions. But it is better to replace the usual fish food with vegetable food in large quantities - this way the crayfish will not compete and get hurt in the pursuit of tasty treats.

Fill the container with cold water and add the crustaceans there. Remember to change the liquid and feed the animals daily.

Dead individuals must be removed from the tank immediately! You can recognize them by their straightened tail, which in a living crayfish is bent towards the abdomen.

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).

Large container with clean water

This storage method allows you to extend the life of arthropods by 3-5 days. The conditions are the same as when simulating the natural environment - change the water once a day, timely feeding. It is advisable to take water that has been purified or settled for at least a day - a large amount of chlorine will negatively affect the viability of crayfish.

How to bring crayfish home alive

They are delivered home alive, but during the delivery process there is a possibility of death of weak specimens. Transportation is carried out in wooden containers with holes for air access. A plastic box or a basket made of wicker is also suitable.

Moistened moss, algae, and grass are placed on the bottom. Individuals are placed in one layer. They are also covered on top. For this, a pre-moistened thin cloth or another plant layer is used.

The container is wrapped in a tarpaulin and covered with pieces of ice. During transportation it is necessary to avoid sunlight. If the delicacy is in transit for less than 4 hours, transportation in a damp bag is allowed. In case of long-term transportation, it is recommended to use thermal containers.

Shelf life of boiled crayfish

After boiling, crayfish can be stored on the middle shelf of the refrigerator for up to four days. At the same time, they do not lose their benefits and dietary taste. After being frozen, thawed crayfish become dry and tasteless. The protein in meat is destroyed, as a result of which its beneficial properties are lost.

It is not advisable to store such a valuable product in the freezer for too long. Frozen crayfish should be eaten immediately after thawing at room temperature.

How do you like the article?

How to determine the freshness of cancer?

Maximum active crayfish

– those that try to pinch crawl quickly, their tails are tucked.
These are fresh crayfish
.

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