Not all seafood lovers live right next to a coast. This means that fresh seafood is harder to come by, and many people feel completely out of luck when the craving strikes. However, the abundance and availability of online seafood retailers helps put those inland seafood cravings to rest. With the click of a button, customers can have fresh, flavorful seafood at their doorstep as soon as the very next day.

How to Get Crab Legs Delivered

Itching to get crab legs delivered to your door? Getting crab legs online delivery is easier than you might think. The first decision to make is whether to purchase the crab legs fresh or frozen. Fresh crab legs typically need to be bought in-season, which is late fall to mid-winter. The flavor and texture of fresh seafood, crab included, is definitely different than its frozen counterpart. However, the purchase of frozen seafood is not contingent on a specific time of year, and can cost less than fresh seafood.

There are two ways for fresh-caught crab to be frozen for a crab legs for delivery. The catch can either be frozen on-land during production, or frozen at sea. If the crab is frozen back on land, the process begins by first cooking the crab. It is then dipped in a below-freeze brine and given a freshwater rinse. The rinse provides a protective glaze before the crab is flash-frozen and sent to its final destination. Crabs that are frozen at sea go through the same process on the fishing vessel directly after being caught. Companies who freeze their crabs at sea often boast that it preserves freshness better than on-land processing. Either way, customers can purchase confidently knowing that the crab legs delivered will be of the freshest variety.

Preparing for Crab Delivery

Crab legs will be delivered, chilled or frozen, in some type of insulated packaging, typically with dry ice and a thermo-reflective liner. The product will be secured with bubble wrap or air cushions. The specific way crab legs are shipped varies based on which retailer is chosen. (A tip for anyone awaiting a package of seafood in the mail: dry ice can burn skin, so please do not handle the package’s interior with bare hands.)

Though it might feel stressful ordering crab legs delivery for the first time, many online seafood retailers have been shipping these delicious bits for years. Their shipping processes are fine-tuned to provide the freshest crab legs delivered as safely as possible. Alaskan King Crab Co. provides an incredibly transparent description of their shipping process, helping to put customers at ease.

Having fresh crab legs delivered requires a bit of forethought. Make sure to have room in a refrigerator, if eating the crab legs within a day, or a freezer, if saving the crab legs for another time. If the crab legs will be prepared as soon as possible, they should be put in the refrigerator to thaw about 8-12 hours overnight. If not, the crab legs can last up to 5 months in a freezer. Get crab legs delivered, frozen or fresh, with no stress and lots of excitement!

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