While finding good deals can be a useful strategy with other foods, this is not the case for crab legs. In general, you should steer clear of cheap king crab legs. We know that seafood, especially king crab, can get very pricey. But the higher price reflects safety and quality measures, which are invaluable to seafood shipping and delivery. If you seek cheap seafood, you run the risk of buying a compromised and potentially unsafe product. We’ll explain the dangers of cheap crab legs and ways to save money on buying king crab, but first, this grid should illustrate some safe-to-eat King crab prices.
Fresh King Crab Prices
Risks of Cheap King Crab Legs
Consumers should be aware of the following red flags that accompany cheap crab legs. More knowledge will help you better navigate both online seafood providers and grocery stores.
Food poisoning: If you end up buying cheap crab legs, you should inspect the legs for any bad signs. Consuming spoiled crab can lead to food poisoning. Plus, you may not want to try crab again if you have a bad experience. To avoid that, look for indicators to tell if your crab is fresh. Mainly, check for color, smell, and texture.
Supply Chain: Online king crab suppliers ship crab legs directly to your doorstep from their processing facility. The crab is shipped frozen and should remain frozen while in transit, barring any shipping mishaps. Cheap king crab legs, like those you might pick up in your grocery store, are part of a longer supply chain. This means that the crab may wait in distribution centers before they arrive at the grocery stores. In waiting, the crab legs could thaw and never properly be refrozen. As a consumer, it is difficult to trace where the crab may have been. Online suppliers make that information transparent.
Longer Shelf Time: The benefit of ordering crab legs online is that they arrive within a couple days of purchasing. From there, you can thaw and eat the crab or freeze it for another time. The shelf life of crab is 12 months if frozen correctly or 2 to 3 days thawed in the fridge. We bring this up because you will want to check the expiration date of any cheap king crab legs you buy. You could end up with crab past its prime.
How to Save Money
Here’s the good news: You can still save money on crab legs without resorting to buying cheap king crab legs. Here’s how.
Buy Online: Consumers are more in control of what they spend when they choose to buy online. You have the ability to compare prices across several websites. Also, you can see which sellers offer free shipping, bulk discounts, or other special deals.
Bulk Buying: You can save many dollars per pound if you buy crab legs in bulk. Crab legs freeze very well and are easy to portion for any preparation you need them for. Crab fishing does have a limited season. To get the most out of your purchase, buy in bulk during peak crab season to have the freshest crab throughout the year.
Explore Options: Red king crab is the most expensive crab leg option. The blue and golden king crab varieties offer a similar taste for much less. Be sure to explore all that is available before making a decision.
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