Yes, the crabmeat has been fully cooked, handpicked, and is
ready to eat; however, many people choose to use the meat as part of a
prepared dish. The container is NOT intended to be used as a serving dish. Crabmeat is a versatile and tasty source of protein. Use it
to make a wide selection of appetizers and entrees, including crab soup, crab
dip, crab imperial, and crab cakes. Please refer to our extensive recipe
collection. Enjoy our cocktail claws with a nice cocktail or mustard sauce.
They're great for any gathering! The crab is an intricate and fascinating animal. Crabmeat
is tucked into several small compartments separated by a thin shell or
cartilage. Our hand pickers are trained to remove as much shell as possible,
but some shell fragments are difficult to remove because they are very thin
and transparent. After picking, the crabmeat is put through a thorough
inspection to eliminate any remaining shell. Although we aim to eliminate
100% of the shell, we are limited by particle size constraints and by the
amount of time the meat can be exposed to higher temperatures. The first letter stands for the type of meat; for example, C stands for claw meat. The next two numbers denote the weight of the package, whether its 8 oz or 16 oz. The next numbers represent a Julian date that reveals the date the meat was produced. The second line of letters represent the country of origin and plant identification code for internal use. The sell-by line is set 18 months from the date of production, by which the product should be used. Sample
Code Date: Proper handling by the manufacturer is the most critical factor
to establishing good quality shelf life of pasteurized crabmeat. Shelf
life is the storage time that a product has between the time of production
and the time when it is no longer suitable for consumption. Processors
must follow a stringent set of guidelines and record each step of production
to create a product that will offer a maximum shelf life to home consumers,
retailers, and food service facilities. Most of the same principles above apply to home use, but
home consumers should realize that the majority of home refrigerators do not
maintain a temperature that would be considered adequate for long-term
storage of crabmeat. Therefore, unopened pasteurized crabmeat being held in
home refrigerators should be used within 30 days of the time it was
purchased. Once the container has been opened, the product should be used
within 4 days and must be kept refrigerated. Yes, you can. If storage time longer than one month is
required, then freezing of the product is recommended; however, the consumer
needs to be aware that freezing will also change the flavor and texture of
the crabmeat. Freezing is a safe method for home preservation of crabmeat,
but should be used only when longer than recommended time is required between
purchase and use. Store crabmeat in home freezers at 10°F or below for up to
3 months. If your freezer will not maintain 10°F, then shorter shelf life
will result. The plastic containers are susceptible to cracking, however, so
you may wish to remove the meat and use an airtight freezer bag instead. When
using a freezer bag, expel all air and flatten the bag as much as possible so
that the meat lies in a thin layer. All Natural Callinectes Crab is sold to only a portion of the
country's distributors and grocery stores. If you would like to have our
products available in your local store, tell the store manager, or your local
seafood reseller, to contact us at FAQ@allnaturalcrab.com
or by phone at 1-800-794-2722. No, at this time we are unable to sell directly to
consumers. The best way to keep buying our products is to tell the store
where you purchased them, or your local seafood reseller, how much you enjoy
them and would like to see them stocked in the store.
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