How to Store Live Crabs

dungeness crab image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com

Shellfish tastes best when it is as fresh as possible, but storing live shellfish, like crabs, can be a challenge. Unlike other kinds of seafood, crabs can die quite quickly and become spoiled under the best of conditions. Once removed from their natural environment, crabs require special techniques to keep them fresh and alive in time for cooking.

Place a crab bushel basket in a cool, shady, well-aired outdoor location.

Fill the bottom of a crab bushel basket with approximately two inches of ice.

Place the live crabs on the layer of ice.

Soak a burlap sack in water until it is entirely damp.

Cover the crab bushel basket with the damp burlap sack.