Crab cleaning tricks anybody?

My fingers are all cut up and soar from processing all the crab we've been catching recently.  Anyone out there have any tricks for getting all that meat out of those guys a little easier and quicker?  I've found that things are a bit easier when the crab is cold, but it still takes much longer than I would like.

Thanks,

Fishdog

Drinking beer always seems to help me. And a pair of nut crackers and a little fork. I find the harder the shell is the easier the cracking. I don't think there is an easy way that is why it cost an arm and leg in the store. I like to detach the claws at each knuckle and pull the little conecting tendon out which helps the meat just fall out, but that is about all I can say for that. Other then get the wife to do it.
Matt

Classic......looks like I'll have to spend a little more time fishing for a wife instead of those kings   

Thanks for the tips....sounds pretty similar to what I've been doing.  Let's see...one beer per crab....5 crab...hmmmm.....that sounds about right.

Hey, do you guys know that you're in the same (relatively) neighborhood? I'll be over, with family, next week.

How have you been doing, Floatin Cowboy? You liking the OP? Got any hot reports for us?

Wahoo...my first post......

I used to have to pick 2, 3 gallon buckets a day back at a seafood house I worked for on the east coast. This works for Dungeness & Snow (Ophilio) crab.

Remove crab top shell and use sharp edge to scrape gills and trench body cavity. Discard top shell. Crack crab in half, shake twice into garbage and rinse. You should now have a dressed crab.

Seperate the legs from the crab AT THE BODY. Dont just pull the leg off!! Make sure to split it all the way into the body section. So each leg will have a good piece of body attached.

Take each legs and "unwrap" the shell from the body section and shake meat into bowl. discard body section. Seperate sections pulling the tendons from each section out (important). Once sectioned, on a cutting board, useing a boning/kitchen Knife, hold a section on edge and let the knife fall on the section so as to penetrate the shell 1/8" to 1/4", turn knife to to crack shell like a lever. Shake crab to bowl.

After your bazillionth crab you will be able to crack/split with one hand (knife) and shake with the other.

This is the best way I have found to ensure little pieces of shell stay out of the picked crab. The object is to keep the shells in as large a piece as you can. Bigger shells mean less handeling.   

Be car-fuel!!!! The better you get at picking crab the more of a tendency to test those bigger pieces for freshness. Keep the melted butter away until your done pickin or you'll understand the car-fuel thing. 

thanks Boulster.....that's what I was looking for.  Now I just have to wait 8 months to try it 

Much Obliged.

Fishdog

thanks Boulster.....that's what I was looking for.  Now I just have to wait 8 months to try it 

Much Obliged.

Fishdog

Dunno if your area is involved but a bunch are going to be open again.
http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/bb/index.php?topic=667.0

Z