What To Look For When Choosing The Best Canned Crab Meat – Tasting Table

Hand-picking crab is a delicate process involving precise cuts, picking out every morsel of meat, and combing through picked meat to remove lingering bits of shell. That’s a lot of labor and it’s reflected in the price. The key is zeroing in on the best choice — and price point — for a specific preparation. As it’s picked, the bounty is graded and divided into categories: colossal lump, jumbo lump, lump, backfin, special, and claw. The cost of colossal lump, the most expensive variety, can exceed $100 per pound. Also known as mega jumbo or super jumbo, it’s the muscle connected to the crab’s swimmers — and there are only two per crab. The initial cut is key to success. If the picker goes too deep, they cut the premium bite in half. If the cut is too shallow, bits of shell stick to the meat. It’s a delicate process that, when done correctly, yields large chunks of crab meat revered for their size, color, and delicately sweet flavor. 

Bottom line: Colossal lump crab meat should be the star of the show. Hiding the gorgeous morsels of goodness in a complex or highly seasoned dish would be an expensive mistake. Keep it simple. One of the best ways to savor colossal lump crab is all by itself, dipped in rich, melted butter. Next on the price tier, jumbo lump crab meat. It looks and tastes the same as the colossal variety. In fact, it is the same. It’s just harvested from smaller crabs.