Many people buy grocery and household items in bulk. Generally speaking, bulk items tend to save money. Although you have to pay more upfront, the long-term savings add up. Items like canned goods make for a good bulk buy since they have a long shelf life. But what about when you buy crab legs in bulk? We will talk about when it makes sense to stock up on crab. Also, we will discuss different ways to use crab legs and how to store any excess.
Stocking Up on Crab Legs
Committing to adding double-digit pounds of crab legs to your online cart might take some convincing. We understand that you might be questioning how well bulk crab legs store and how to cook with that much crab. Keep reading to determine how much crab you should buy, how to store crab legs, and benefits to buying in bulk. But first, we’ll give you some prices to show you the type of budget you should be working with.
Fresh King Crab Prices
| Company | Price/lb | Minimum Order | Shipping | Order |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global Seafoods | $35.00 | 5 lbs | $16.20 | |
| Crab Place | $42.29 | 1 lb | $29.95 | |
| Fulton Fish Market | $51.00 | 2 lbs | Free | |
| Seabear Smokehouse | $63.00 | 2.5 lbs | $19.99 | |
| Cameron’s Seafood | $65.99 | 3 lbs | $39.99 |
When to Buy Bulk Crab Legs
A good time to buy bulk crab legs is the prime of crab season. In some areas, crab season is year-round. However, other areas have shorter seasons. The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife lists a more detailed season chart. Buying crab in bulk during the season peak ensures the crab you order is from that prime catch. The crab you get might otherwise come from a stock of crab that has been stored a bit longer.
We do not recommend buying more than what you think you would use within two to three months of your purchase. This timeline works for a couple of reasons. First, crab legs are delicious, so it is unlikely that you would want to wait much longer than this to enjoy them. Second, crab legs do relatively well in the freezer. But, keeping crab in the freezer longer than four months might affect its texture and taste.
An added benefit of buying bulk crab legs is that there is often a shipping discount. Some seafood sites have order minimums to get free overnight shipping. A bulk amount of crab will likely give you access to this discount. In addition, bulk crab legs for sale tend to have a lower ticket price per pound. For something like king crab, these savings make a considerable difference in the overall cost.
Uses for Bulk Crab Legs
Having too many crab legs is a good problem to have. Crab legs are not a one trick pony. Both the meat and the shells have many uses. Crab meat is a versatile ingredient and relatively healthy protein option. Having a stock of crab legs gives you many meal options.
There are plenty of recipes that lie beyond the popular options of making crab cakes or eating the crab leg meat with drawn butter. For inspiration for creative crab uses, check out Bon Appétit’s 17 crab recipe ideas. You can use the shells for a seafood stock and can use the leg meat in any number of salads, pasta dishes, or sandwiches.
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