1 pound blue crab claw meat
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 10 ounce package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1 cup fresh whole kernel corn
1 cup non-fat sour cream
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground oregano
15 ounces enchilada sauce, divided
8 6-inch, flour tortillas

Remove any remaining shell or cartilage from crabmeat. Combine crab and next 6 ingredients and 5 ounces of the enchilada sauce; mix well. Place the tortillas on a plate; cover and microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove tortillas and place equal amounts of the crab mixture on each and roll up. Place the rolled tortillas seam side down in a 7-inch by 12-inch glass casserole dish and cover with remaining enchilada sauce. Cover with plastic wrap, vent and microwave on high for 5 to 6 minutes or until sauce is hot and bubbling. Remove from oven and let stand for 2 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings

24 live Florida blue crabs
6 quarts boiling water
1/3 cup salt

Place live crabs in boiling, salted water. Cover and return to the boiling point. Reduce heat, simmer for 12-15 minutes. Drain. Rinse in cold water. Serve hot or cold.

Crabs may be boiled in seasoned water by using a commercially packaged blend of spices designed for boiling crab. Crabs may be cleaned prior to cooking; cook only the claws and inner skeleton (or pod) which contain the white body meat. Cooking time should be reduced 5-7 minutes. Crabs may be steamed by placing them in a steamer over
boiling water. Sprinkle with Tabasco and vinegar, cover the pot, and steam about 10 minutes.

Yield: 6 servings

1 pound Florida blue crab meat
4 cups chopped Florida iceberg lettuce hearts
1 cup chopped Florida romaine lettuce hearts
1 cup finely chopped Florida red bell pepper
1 cup finely chopped Florida green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped Florida red onion

: : Dressing : :
1/4 cup salad oil
1/2 cup Florida lime juice
2 teaspoons minced Florida garlic

Remove any remaining shell particles from crabmeat. Combine crabmeat, lettuce, bell peppers and onion in large mixing bowl; toss and set aside. In a small bowl combine oil, lime juice and garlic and mix vigorously. Add dressing to salad according to taste and toss to coat all ingredients.

Yield: 4 servings

Live blue crabs are seasonal from May to November in Florida.  They are much more plentiful during the warm water months of the year.

Familiar scenes along Florida coasts, particularly in the summer months, are the many sport crabbers lining bridges, piers and jetties with their traps and nets in the water hopeful for a crab dinner.  Like its crustacean cousins, shrimp and spiny lobsters, the blue crab ranks high on the list of seafood delicacies in Florida.  Live blue crabs are seasonal and much more plentiful during the warm water months of the year.

One important thing to know if you are catching your own crabs in that it is illegal to catch female crabs during the summer months when they have eggs.  How do you know the difference?  Look at the abdomen on the underside of the crab.  The female abdomen is dome shaped, like the U.S. capitol; the male abdomen looks like the Washington Monument.

Blue crabs are caught and marketed in both the hard-shelled and soft-shelled stages.  During the summer months hard-shell crabs may be purchased live or cooked in the shell.  Fresh or pasteurized cooked crabmeat is usually available in three grades:
       Lump meat - whole lumps from the large body muscles
       Flake or special meat - small pieces of white meat from the body
       Claw meat - brownish tinged meat from the claws

The Florida season for soft-shell crab production extends from May through November.  They can also be purchased precleaned, individually wrapped and frozen.  Properly frozen soft crabs can remain frozen for at least 6 months, without harming the texture and flavor.  The entire soft-shell crab can be fried or grilled.

Nutritional Value:  Approximate nutritional values for 4 ounces (114 grams) of raw, edible portion: 90 calories; 10 calories from fat; 1.5 gm total fat; 0 gm saturated fat; 80 mg cholesterol; 320 mg sodium; 0 gm carbohydrate; 19 gm protein; 105 of RDI calcium; 6% of RDI iron.

Storing:  Fresh crabmeat is very perishable.  If you are buying or catching live crabs be sure they are alive and moving when you begin to prepare them.  DO NOT cook dead crabs.  Cooked or pasteurized crabmeat should be kept refrigerated in the coldest part of the refrigerator, below 35 degrees F, or on ice in the refrigerator.  At this temperature fresh crabmeat can be expected to have a shelf life of 10 days.  If refrigerated at a high temperature it should be used within 2-3 days.  Pasteurized crabmeat is heat-treated in hermetically sealed containers for extended refrigerated shelf life if the seal is not broken, and will keep for up to 6 month  IF stored at 32° F.

Freezing is not a preferred method for storing crabmeat.  Frozen meat is available in some stores, but is generally slightly lower in quality than fresh meat.  It is best used in casseroles, soups, stews and recipes with added liquid.  Fresh caught crabs can be frozen uncooked, using the following method.  Remove the claws and the inner pod of cartilage containing the body meat and discard the rest of the crab.  Freeze the uncracked claws and the unpicked pod of meat whole in a block of ice.  Use within 2 months.

Basic Uses: Crabmeat is one of Florida's most versatile seafoods. It can be served in cocktails, appetizers, soups, salads and main dishes. Which form you decide to use for your crabmeat will depend largely upon personal preference and availability.  An experienced crab picker can produce about 2 1/4 ounces of meat from each pound of live blue crabs.  This is about a 14% yield.  The consumer is probably better off to purchase the crabmeat already prepared unless the picking is incorporated into a Ôcrab boil' or Ôpicnic type' activity.