What Are Snow Crab Clusters and Why Should We Buy Them?

Known by many as the “queen crab”, snow crab should not be underestimated for their size or taste. They are, in many ways, impressive like their counterpart, the King Crab. Although fully grown King Crab often weigh anywhere from 12 to 15 pounds, snow crab weigh about 5 to 7 pounds. Similarly, the lifespan of snow crab is long, living an estimated 20 years when they are not harvested.

So, while you may ask yourself about why you should purchase any snow crab or – the popular choice – snow crab clusters, size, nutrition, and quantity are among the most common reasons.

Snow Crab Legs Prices

How Much Are Snow Crab Clusters Per Pound?

Snow crabs are found in the cold waters that span the Pacific Northwest and Northwest Atlantic, Alaska to Siberia, as well as Greenland to Newfoundland. The season begins as soon as the ice breaks, which is typically around mid-April, and lasts until early November. Snow crab legs are most commonly sold as a cluster of snow crab legs. A cluster of snow crab is a group of legs that are attached to some of the snow crab’s body. These snow crab leg clusters contain a portion of the crab’s body meat.

When it comes time to prepare snow crab, once it is cooked the color should change from red to a snowy white. The texture of snow crab should be tender, and the crab’s flavor should be mild and subtle, but also sweet. Snow crabs prior to harvesting possess five pairs of spider-like legs, four pairs of walking legs, and they have one pair of claws. Although you may expect that the crab gets its name from its cold ocean environment, the name is, in actuality, derived from the snow-white color of the meat.

Another similarity between King Crabs and 1 cluster of snow crab legs is that snow crabs have extremely long legs. These legs provide a great deal of their meat, which is considered to be more fibrous than the meat of the King Crab. However, their legs are thinner than King Crabs, which makes them less desirable for restaurants and more affordable when purchasing them.

Should I Buy A Cluster Snow Crab?

When purchasing snow crab clusters on sale, the average price per pound for snow crab will help you know what to expect from vendors. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the cost in May for snow crab was set at $2.05 per pound, or CAD 2.90. The price per pound is a sharp drop from the 2019 price per pound of CAD 5.38.

If you want 1 snow crab cluster, you can purchase snow crab clusters with 8 to 9 legs per pound for $22.25 from The Fresh Lobster Company, LLC. What you will find often with online orders is that there are 2 clusters of snow crab per pound. That is the case with Crab Dynasty, whose jumbo snow crab clusters range from 3 to 9 pounds, with prices starting at $69.99.

Overall, snow crab clusters are more common than snow crab legs. These are preferable to purchase rather than individual legs for a couple of reasons. The first is that with a cluster, if anyone in your group is a snow crab lover, it will provide a greater quantity and leave you more satisfied at the end of the meal. Another benefit to purchasing snow crab legs in clusters is that it means the crab is already split and cleaned, which will make the customer’s life much easier when it comes time to reheat and prepare the crab.

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