Soft Shell Crabs

5 Things to Know About Soft Shell Crabs

Every spring, Joe Gurrera, Citarella’s owner and original fishmonger, looks forward to the return of one of his favorite seasonal treats: soft shell crabs. Joe has been bringing soft shells to New York since the early 1980s, supplying some of the best retailers and restaurants in the tri-state area.

"Did you know that if soft shell crabs aren't removed from the water at the right time, their shells will harden?"

Here, Joe shares his expertise so that you can make the most of softshell crab season, too.

Why are soft shell crabs soft?
After winter, when the water starts to warm up, blue crabs begin to molt, shedding their shells— and becoming 10-25% larger in the process. Blue crabs that have just finished the molting process are known as ""soft shells." Crabbers keep ""peelers" — blue crabs that are about to lose their shell — in spacious, shallow, saltwater tanks so that they can monitor each crab’s progress. They look at the faint line around the crab’s paddle fins, which are located on their back legs, waiting for the color of the line to change. As the crab gets closer to molting, this line transitions from green to red.

Once the crabs have shed their hard outer shells, they are strategically plucked from the water, sorted by market size, and nestled into beds of seaweed. Removing the crabs from the water prevents their thin, delicate covering from hardening into a shell. Experienced crabbers know just when to remove soft shell blue crabs from the water: remove them too early, and they’ll be too soft to travel, but remove them too late, and they’ll turn into “leatherbacks," with shells already starting to form.

What does soft shell crab taste like?
The molting process doesn’t change the blue crab's iconic, sweet flavor — it simply eliminates the need to crack open the shell before enjoying it. Soft shells have the same delicate, lobster-like intensity of their hard-shelled counterparts. The meat is rich, buttery, and tender, with a sweet tanginess.

What's a quick guide for how to cook soft shell crabs?
Really, all you need to cook this seasonal treat at home is a little oil and a pan. Joe's favorite method is honestly that simple, and it allows the incredible flavor of the crab to come to the fore. Rinse and dry your cleaned crabs before dusting them in a little bit of all-purpose flour. Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. When the oil starts to warm, add the crab and sautée for 1½-2 minutes per side — until they're crisp and golden-brown.

When and where can I buy soft shell crabs?
You’ll find fresh soft shell crabs in Citarella markets nearly every day during soft shell crab season, which typically spans from early spring to late summer. The first soft shell crabs of the year generally come from Florida, beginning as early as March. As the Florida soft shell crab season ends, a new one begins in Georgia and South Carolina, then trickles up the coast to Virginia, Maryland, and into the Northeast. As the temperature of the water along the East Coast climbs, the soft shells follow.

Joe has relationships with trusted crabbers all along the East Coast, so whether our soft shell crabs are sourced in Florida or New Jersey, Citarella always has access to the best. The fishermen know to call Joe daily to fill him in on what the catch is like. Often, Joe has exclusive access to the supply — and it’s not uncommon for him to claim all of the available soft shells on any given day.

Once they arrive in the market, our skilled fishmongers handle these especially delicate crabs carefully, arranging them on piles of soft seaweed over beds of ice. Our soft shell crabs are fresh, never frozen, and their flavor is best just after they are cleaned, so it's important to buy yours on the same day that you intend to cook them.