Shells in Crab Cakes

[I_Have_A_Screw_Loose]

I feel honored. My post made you decide to stop lurking and join our happy family.

WELCOME TO THE DIS

Thank you.

 

[DisneyPhD]

I was at Whole foods market the other day. They had a variety of fresh crab meat at the counter. It raged about $12 a small container, to $40 for the same size of jumbo lump crab meat. Oh my. It looked so good. The same kind of crab they use in Morton's steak house crab cakes.

The moral of the story is crab meat comes in variety of prices and qualities. Frozen crab cakes, not as good and a few piece of shell are going to be found.

My birthday is coming up. If DH doesn't take me Morton's for crab cakes, I am getting a $$ package from whole foods and making some myself. It will cost about the same.

My cousin once showed me how she shells crabs, she lives on an island in out outer banks NC. Man she was fast. That is hard work.

 

[minniecarousel]

I consider small shell bits in crabcakes right there with tiny bones in fish. Not appetizing, but not unexpected.

I'd let it go.

 

[Micca]

I find the very act of eating crab cakes shellfish

 

[Thats_for_Shore]

I had a frozen crab cake for lunch. There were not one, not two, but three pieces of shell in it. This is a reputable frozen seafood company, that I've purchased products from several times before, but have never had this problem. Should I contact the company?

Ok, first of all let me say that this reputable frozen seafood company is probably Phillips'.

Let me also say that while Phillips' still has a crab processing plant here in the US, there is only ONE, and that meat is distributed to the Phillips' restaurants in DC and Ocean City, MD, and a few other restaurants that they have here in this area.

The frozen crab cakes that you are purchasing are not made with the Blue Crab that comes from the United States. The crab meat is picked and packaged in Indonesia and other foreign countries, and then shipped to the Phillips' plant in Baltimore, Maryland.

The plant in Baltimore uses the foreign crab meat to make the Phillips' famous crab cakes. They use the same recipe, but with the foreign crab meat.

The foreign crab meat is not even from the same species of crabs that we have here in our local waterways.

Anyhow, they call their crab cakes "Maryland Style" because they are made with a Maryland recipe. And the box will say that they are packaged in the United States...because they are, it's just that they use ingredients (including the main ingredient -- crab) that come from another country.

So now that we have had a little lesson in how those frozen crab cakes got on your plate, I'll say this:

If a company uses foreign crab meat, and then puts it in a box marked "Maryland Style" and "Packaged in the USA" to try to trick their customers into thinking that they are getting an authentic Maryland product, I doubt that they will care the least little bit that you had three pieces of shell in it.

Oh, and if you want REAL Maryland crab meat to make your own crab cakes, let me know. I live 5 minutes away from the only Phillips' crab picking plant, and I'd be happy to send you some.

Or, you can just buy it from me, since I own a crab picking plant myself.

 

[LaraK]

Ok, first of all let me say that this reputable frozen seafood company is probably Phillips'.

Let me also say that while Phillips' still has a crab processing plant here in the US, there is only ONE, and that meat is distributed to the Phillips' restaurants in DC and Ocean City, MD, and a few other restaurants that they have here in this area.

The frozen crab cakes that you are purchasing are not made with the Blue Crab that comes from the United States. The crab meat is picked and packaged in Indonesia and other foreign countries, and then shipped to the Phillips' plant in Baltimore, Maryland.

The plant in Baltimore uses the foreign crab meat to make the Phillips' famous crab cakes. They use the same recipe, but with the foreign crab meat.

The foreign crab meat is not even from the same species of crabs that we have here in our local waterways.

Anyhow, they call their crab cakes "Maryland Style" because they are made with a Maryland recipe. And the box will say that they are packaged in the United States...because they are, it's just that they use ingredients (including the main ingredient -- crab) that come from another country.

So now that we have had a little lesson in how those frozen crab cakes got on your plate, I'll say this:

If a company uses foreign crab meat, and then puts it in a box marked "Maryland Style" and "Packaged in the USA" to try to trick their customers into thinking that they are getting an authentic Maryland product, I doubt that they will care the least little bit that you had three pieces of shell in it.

Oh, and if you want REAL Maryland crab meat to make your own crab cakes, let me know. I live 5 minutes away from the only Phillips' crab picking plant, and I'd be happy to send you some.

Or, you can just buy it from me, since I own a crab picking plant myself.

And now you know why you're my friend......I'm shamelessly exploiting myself for good crabs.

 

[Thats_for_Shore]

And now you know why you're my friend......I'm shamelessly exploiting myself for good crabs.

No worries, girl. I will totally hook you up!!! Fresh from my boats to your door!

 

[MAKmom]

I've never noticed a shell in a crabcake before.

My brother found a screw in a sticky bun.

 

[Abbie]

No worries, girl. I will totally hook you up!!! Fresh from my boats to your door!

Ok, girls, time to stop! Ever since I started reading this thread I've been drooling for steamed crabs!! Summer is sooo far away....

 

[Breezy_Carol]

I am a native Marylander too. I think I need to be friends with Thats_for_Shore. I am on the upper eastern shore and this sure makes me hungry for crab cakes, with or without the shells.

 

[DisneyPhD]

Tell me about it. I really want good crap meat now.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

Tell me about it. I really want good crap meat now.

Sorry, this is the kind of mistyping I would do.

 

[LaraK]

Hmmmmm.....Dis crab feast????

 

[DisneyPhD]

Sorry, this is the kind of mistyping I would do.

So true. See crap meat is what the OP was talking about.

lara, count me in!

 

[Mkrop]

Count me in as long as there is no mussels, I am allergic, although my tonuge swells if I eat mussels so I would be quiet for once But I LOVE crab

 

[Free4Life11]

I've never noticed a shell in a crabcake before.

My brother found a screw in a sticky bun.

I would have called the company and told them to stop screwing the sticky buns!

 

[LaraK]

I would have called the company and told them to stop screwing the sticky buns!

 

[sewer]

I actually think finding shells in them is reassuring. You know you got real crab and not some random conglomoration of mystery fish, flavored to taste like crab!

Amen!

 

[azgal81]

Mmmm crab.

 

[LadyyRedd]

Out of curiosity, have you ever picked crabs? It's hard to pick without getting shell. You always end up spitting a little out (and spitting while eating fresh crabs is polite behavior). The people who pick professionally absolutely amaze me....they are SO fast.

I could never do it professionally....I'd be WAY too tempted to eat everything I picked!

Steamed Hardshell Maryland Blue Crabs is my FAVORITE food in the whole world.

Kimya