My personal recipies Deep fried green crabs, is one of the most simple recipes for green crabs that can be made year round since this recipe is for hard shell crabs, not the coveted soft shell green crabs (moeche ) only available for a very brief period in the spring, usually late May into June here in Maine. Though in this particular video I batter everything, you really only need to batter the center mass of the crab because that is what you eat, the legs are primarily for holding onto the crab. The 'tooth fee' of this dish about like a tortilla chip or kettle fried potato chip. A little crunch and a lot of seafood flavor! This is a very special dish I learned about which is essentially the same recipe as a classic Italian carbonara except... there is no pork only green crab. My initial thought about this recipe was that it would taste fine but is ultimately just green crab with pasta, which I make fairly often. It is so much more than that. I think the combination of using the whole green crab and a quick hard saute did something to the green crab flavor which indeed brought out an interesting seafood/porcine flavor I didn't expect. MAINE GREEN CRAB's BISQUE (serves 4) 8 Green crabs (remove carapace for lighter colored broth* and garnish) 2 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 onion finely chopped 2 carrots peeled and finely chopped 2 stalks celery finely chopped 1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped 1 teaspoon fresh tarragon chopped, plus more to serve 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder Pinch salt or to taste 1⁄4 teaspoon cracked pepper 1⁄2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 4 cloves garlic minced 2 tablespoons tomato paste 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour or plain flour 1 1⁄4 cup dry sherry (dry white wine can be substituted) 4 cups green crab stock 3⁄4 - 1 cup heavy cream Green crab stock Fill a large pot with 5 cups of water. Stir in 1 teaspoon sea salt and bring to a boil. Add 6 crushed green crabs (reserve two and split bodies for garnish), cover with lid and let boil for 5 minutes, or until shell is bright red. Remove split bodies and refrigerate. Bring back to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for a further 15 minutes to draw as much flavor out of the crabs as possible. Once done strain stock from shell and set aside. Preparing bisque Heat butter and oil in a large, heavy-based pot over medium heat, sweat the onions, carrots, celery and fresh herbs. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Season with the bouillon powder, salt and pepper. Stir in 4 cloves of minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Mix in tomato paste, cook for another minute to coat vegetables. Sprinkle flour over and cook, while stirring occasionally for another 2 minutes making a lite roux. Pour in sherry, simmer and let reduce to half. Stir in green crab stock, reduce heat and gently simmer while stirring occasionally, until liquid has thickened slightly and flavors have blended, about 30 minutes. Take off the heat, transfer mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Return to medium-low heat and stir in heavy cream. Serving Plate in shallow soup bowl, sprinkle with fresh chopped tarragon, and half green crab body prepared earlier. Serve with fresh bread toasted and buttered or lightly rubbed with garlic clove. *green crab’s heapatopancreas is similar to other crabs, however I find they are a much darker and make stock that’s equally dark. For a lighter stock I remove the carapace that the heapatopancreas is attached to and liquid before cooking, this will make the broth as light as possible while still giving plenty of flavor.

My crabbing boat is a 2003 Boston Whaler Sport 130 which had been cut in half as a demonstration of the unsinkability of Boston Whalers. I rejonied both halves of the boat, and added a center grab bar and mounting brackets for catch cooler. The boat is powered by a 1996 Tohatsu 25hp outboard and is exceptional for working shallow coastal waters where green crabs are. Boston Whaler Sport 130 I purchased my Boston Whaler almost as a joke off Craigs List. The boat is a demonstration hull Boston Whaler company gave to dealers to cut in half to demonstrate how it's made and that it is unsinkable. The person I bought the boat from had purchased it many years ago from a dealer, with the intention of rejoining the hull, but never got to it so it sat in their workshop until they decided to sell it to me for $300. With guidance of other Maine fishermen and a boat builder from Alaska I rejoined both halves of the hull and now commercially fish from it. It is powered by a 1996 Tohatsu 25hp long shaft outboard with tiller controls. In the spring of 2023 I added a grab bar for added safety and to keep the deck as open as possible. The asking price for the hull was $500 but I offered $300 and it was accepted. Since 1999 the 13' Boston Whalers have a dry weight of 600lbs. 300lbs more than the classic Whalers. This required me to use a chain hoist to flip the hull. The hull was reattached using multiple layers of polyester glass and resin as Boston Whaler hulls are. Once the bottom outside was glassed and faired, it was time to gel coat. Unfortunately I could not justify the cost of getting the exact tint for this hull, since I knew I would be fishing with it, so I used the closest premix gel coat I could find. After flipping the newly joined hull I was also able to glass the bottom of the hull from the inside before refoaming, then glassing the topside. It was also gel coated, and I added rails. The boat is as rigid and solid as the day Boston Whaler company manufactured it. Launching the Whaler at the public landing in South Thomaston on the Weskeag River, then taking her out for the maiden voyage was a spectacular day I'll never forget. In case your wondering, I wrote to Boston Whaler telling them what I was doing and they called me back. I had a great conversation with the rep and he provided a lot of great information on this hull, and wished me luck!

Discover the fascinating world of Maine Green Crabs. Follow a local fisherman's journey in removing over 3060lbs of these invasive species from the Weskeag River. I would like to begin by acknowledging that I am in the coastal Wawenock lands, unceded territory of the Wabanaki People . I fish my traps in the Weskeag River, a short tidal river in Knox County, with head waters in the towns of South Thomaston, and Owls Head where I grew up. I grew up here in Owls Head Maine, and even when I was thousands of miles away, I never really left. Though my father, a WWII veteran worked for the federal government, most of my family worked in the fisheries. My grandfather who was Finnish American owned a trawler and Captained it for many years out of Rockland Harbor. My Uncle was a lobsterman and along with several great uncles and many cousins and friends, nudged me in the direction of commercial fishing too. But that was then. I left the commercial fisheries to go to college and follow other passions. Decades later, I've returned to the commercial fisheries, this time to catch green crabs, an invasive species wreaking havoc to our marine ecosystem. As a business proposition I started Maine Green Crabs to provide a means for the customer to take action in addressing global warming and asserting cultural values though utilizing an invasive species as an affordable, nutritious, and culturally significant food source. Follow me on Instagram @mainegreencrabs Load more Join me at the Maine Tasting Center in Wiscasset this summer to learn about green crabs, their impact on the environment, how to get them, and how to eat them. Maine Green Crab song The Crate Escape 00:00 / 01:33 Food & Wine magazine coverage of Maine Green Crabs Want to stay up to date with what I'm doing? Sign up here. Join Thanks for subscribing!

Invasive green crabs harvested using environmentally sound methods for sale to general public for consumption. Crabs $2/dozen for small crabs* $2/ 1/2dozen for large crabs (3.5"carapace) $3ea seasonal shedders $50 bushel (aprox 40lbs) Currently working on options for shipping, cost of shipping will be extra. *can be eaten or used for bait; flounder, black sea bass, etc.

This page lists a series of threats posed by the invasive green crab, severe environmental damage to native species of shellfish, and coastal habitat such as eel grass. The invasive green crab , scientifically known as Carcinus maenas, is native to the shores of the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea, ranging from Europe to northern Africa. The green crab is considered one of the world's most invasive species. It has been introduced to various regions through ballast water from ships, accidental transport, and intentional introductions for commercial purposes. Green crabs are relatively small, typically measuring up to 4 inches across their carapace (shell). They have a hexagonal-shaped carapace with five spines on each side called marginal teeth, these are not actual teeth but distinct bumps on the edge of their shell. They also have 3 rostral bumps between their eyes. Their coloration of their underside can vary from a light yellowish green to a dark burnt orange, but their backs typically have a greenish hue, which gives them their common name. See image to the left. The impact of green crabs in Maine has been significant and multifaceted, affecting both the state's ecosystems and its economy, particularly the shellfish industry which has already caused significant damage. Here are some of the key impacts of green crabs in Maine: Shellfish Industry: One of the most pronounced impacts of green crabs in Maine is on the state's shellfish industry. Green crabs are voracious predators that prey on a variety of shellfish, including soft-shell clams, mussels, and oysters. It’s also believed they prey on juvenile lobster a key industry in the state. This predation can result in reduced populations of commercially valuable shellfish species, leading to economic losses for shellfish harvesters and aquaculture operations. Soft-shell clams, in particular, have been significantly impacted, as green crabs target both juvenile and adult clams, making it difficult for populations to recover. Soft-Shell Clam Decline: Green crabs have been implicated in the steep decline of soft-shell clams in Maine. These clams are culturally and economically important to the state, and their decline has far-reaching effects on coastal communities that rely on clam harvesting. The combination of direct predation and disruption of sediment by green crabs has contributed to the decline of this iconic resource. Ecological Disruption: Green crabs are invasive predators that can disrupt local marine ecosystems. By feeding on various marine organisms, they can alter the balance of food webs and impact the populations of native species. This disruption can have cascading effects on the health and stability of Maine's coastal ecosystems. Marsh Erosion: Green crabs are known to burrow into marshes and sediment, which can contribute to erosion of salt marshes. Marshes play a crucial role in coastal protection, water filtration, and providing habitat for various species. Green crab burrowing can weaken marsh structures and exacerbate erosion , potentially affecting these vital functions. Management Costs: The presence of green crabs requires resources for monitoring and management efforts. State agencies, researchers, and stakeholders invest time and funds to study the impacts of green crabs, develop control strategies, and implement management programs. These management costs estimated up to $22 million per year, add to the economic burden of dealing with the invasive species. Climate Change Amplification: Warmer waters associated with climate change can accelerate the growth and reproductive rates of green crabs. As Maine's waters warm, it may contribute to the expansion of green crab populations and worsen their impacts. The impact of green crabs in Maine encompasses economic losses in the shellfish industry, disruption of marine ecosystems, decline of cultural practices, and potential ecological changes. Managing and mitigating these impacts requires a combination of scientific research, monitoring, stakeholder collaboration, and adaptive management strategies. My objective as a commercial green crab fisherman is to help slow, if not stop the impact of the green crab on our native marine ecosystems, by finding as much utility for the crabs as possible and getting them out of our waters and onto our dinner plates. You can get a lot of practical information about green crabs from University of New Hampshire's Green Crab Project by downloading their "Green Crab Guide" HERE .