Steaming or Boiling Crabs: Which is the better method?
If you’re from Maryland, like me, the idea of boiling crabs may sound crazy. I had never heard of it until I started researching crabbing in the Southern United States, where boiling crabs is the norm. I was curious which method was better, so I did some research to find out. Here’s what I found:
A study by Wiley Food Science & Nutrition found that steaming produces better-tasting crabs. While it was only a slight difference, crabs placed in steaming water ranked higher in taste and texture. Boiled crabs, placed in cold water heated to a boil, ranked the lowest.
(Source).
I’d like to go into this study in greater detail. They compared four methods of cooking crabs, with two overlying methods being steaming and boiling. I’d also like to go over a second study, which compared the crab’s temperature when boiled and steamed in commercial plants. Both are very interesting reads for determining the best way to cook crabs.
I just want to point out that I am a little biased towards steaming crabs (as a Marylander), but I’ve come to realize that there are real benefits to both methods of cooking after all this research. I’ll definitely try boiling my crabs here soon.
Pros & Cons of Steaming Crabs
When you’re steaming crabs, it’s important to place them in a pot with water already at a rolling boil. This practice, rather than placing crabs in the pot before the water begins to boil, will give you sweeter tasting crabs with better texture and color.
Effects of four cooking methods on sensory and taste quality of Portunus trituberculatus. Food Science & Nutrition
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Crabs are exposed to greater, constant heat. | Crabs are slightly more bitter when steamed. |
| Steamed crabs have a more savory taste. |
Steamed crabs have a more savory taste.
The same study that showed crabs were more bitter when steamed also said that steamed crabs have higher umami. I had to look this up, but the term refers to a savory and meaty taste. Imagine the taste of a good steak applied to crab meat.
In both cases, where crabs were steamed starting with hot and cold water, found a greater umami taste. These crabs were more savory and enjoyable than crabs that were boiled.
Steamed are exposed to greater, constant heat.
A study by the Journal of Milk and Food Technology placed little temperature probes on crabs that were steamed. They found what temperature the crabs were exposed to through the cooking process, and the results made me feel better about steaming my crabs.
When crabs are put on a steam rack in a pot of boiling water, the steam quickly reaches a peak temperature of around 240 degrees Fahrenheit on all sides of the crabs. The crabs in the center of the pot take the longest to be exposed to that temperature at around 4 minutes into the cook.
These crabs are then exposed to a constant temperature for however long you choose to steam them. This usually lasts around 15 minutes, or when the shells are a bright red. You can see the temperature of the steamed crabs during their cooking process in the table below.
Crab meat tends to be slightly more bitter when steamed.
I may be nit-picking when looking at the results of this study because the results show a minimal difference. However, there was a clear difference when comparing steamed crabs to boiled ones.
In both cases where crabs were steamed, the crab’s meat came out slightly more bitter than crabs that were boiled. Crabs that were placed in a steaming pot with water already at a rolling boil were the most bitter, while crabs placed in a boiling pot with cold water then heated had the least-bitter crabs.
Keep in mind that the crabs in this study were not seasoned. This is the pure taste of crab meat.
Pros & Cons of Boiling Crabs
When boiling crabs, place the crabs in the pot before turning on the heat. A study found that boiling crabs that were placed in a pot before being heated gave the meat more of a sweet and savoury taste than crabs boiled in a pot with already boiling water.
Effects of four cooking methods on sensory and taste quality of Portunus trituberculatus. Food Science & Nutrition
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Crab meat is slightly sweeter when boiled. | Crabs can be cooked unevenly. |
The crab meat is slightly sweeter when boiled.
One thing I found interesting about the study comparing four different methods of cooking crabs was how the cooking method affected the crab meat.
Crabs that were placed in a pot with cold water and heated to a boil had slightly sweeter crab meat than the crabs that were placed in a steaming pot that already had a rolling boil. The study used an “electronic tongue” to determine the sweetness. The difference was very tiny, but both methods were substantially more sweet than the crabs steamed in a pot starting with cold water and boiled in a pot starting with hot water.
So what can we take from this? Boiled crabs will have more flavor. That’s the leading argument you hear from people who boil crabs. The idea is that crabs boiled in water, rather than steamed, will absorb the flavor from the water. Clearly, this is the case as crabs that spent more time in water had a sweeter taste.
Keep in mind that the crabs in this study were not seasoned. When boiled, these crabs absorb the flavor of whatever seasoning you put in the water like it’s nobody’s business.
Some crabs can be cooked unevenly.
A study by The Journal of Milk and Food Technology placed temperature probes on several crabs that were boiled in a commercial-size boiling basket. One crab in this study was at the top of the pile of crabs in the basket and very close to the surface of the water. This crab was not cooked as much as the crabs near the bottom of the basket, lower in the water.
The study mentioned that this could be avoided with a pot on top of the boiling water. Assuming you’re cooking your crabs with a normal-size boiling pot, I would just place a lid on top to trap the rising steam to cook the crabs near the top of the water equally to those at the bottom of the pot. There is no guarantee it will cook evenly, but at least it will be cooked better than the crab in this study.
Boiled crabs really absorb flavor (Pro or Con?)
I couldn’t decide whether or not to make this a Pro or Con. If a boiled crab absorbs the seasoning in the water, it would definitely be more flavorful than steamed crabs. When you steam crabs, the seasoning gets on the shell, which gets on your fingers, which transfers to the meat when picking.
Boiled crabs and having meat that’s already flavored from the cooking process doesn’t sound good to me because I like the natural flavor of crabs. Perhaps people like the ladder better? Take this as you will. If it’s a pro for you, awesome. If not, awesome.
I’m excited to hear from you. Leave a comment on which method you think is better and why. I want to hear a good point.
Works Cited
Shi, S., Wang, X., Wu, X., & Shi, W. (2020). Effects of four cooking methods on sensory and taste quality of Portunus trituberculatus. Food Science & Nutrition, 8(2), 1115–1124. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.1398
R. W. DICKERSON, M. R. BERRY; Heating Curves During Commercial Cooking of the Blue Crab. Journal of Milk and Food Technology 1 April 1976; 39 (4): 258–262. doi: https://doi.org/10.4315/0022-2747-39.4.258
