Reheating Blue Crabs Outdoors/Al Fresco

As Summer ebbs into Fall, many folks are taking to the great outdoors to soak up those last vacation-y vestiges of the season. If you are a fan of outdoor exploring or al fresco cooking, we have some fun tips for reheating your blue crabs. 

Why we love reheating and eating blue crabs outdoors— 

If you’ve ever traveled throughout the great Chesapeake Bay region, you may have noticed folks dining on blue crabs outside. Not only do we love the outdoor, communal good-times of blue crab feasts, it also provides much easier means of clean up. Yes, blue crab feasts can be a messy affair, between all the cracking and snacking, but that’s all part of the charm and appeal. Blue crabs are also the perfect protein for al fresco cooking and dining. They’re compact, self contained, pre-cooked, and naturally delicious. No need for an abundance of other ingredients, seasonings or utensils!  

Safety First! 

• Before diving into our cool outdoor cooking methods, we wanted to establish and share some of our top safety tips —a lot, of which, (lol) come from several personal or familiar ‘whoopsies’. Bare with me…
• You want to make sure that you are cooking away from flammable objects (dry grasses, wooden structures, etc…). Be sure to check overhead as well for any low-hanging branches or roof structures. 
• Don’t leave your cook site unattended (especially if you have little humans about—or, like me, impatient uncles that will nab a crab the minute a back is turned). 
• If you are camping, check with local park personnel about waste storage and disposal. Wildlife is as much a fan of blue crabs as we are, we don’t want to invite critters to our crab feast (they definitely do not RSVP).
• Make sure to have a couple oven mitts or oodles of dry towels available to transport hot stuff from cook surface to dining surface. 
• And, keep a fire extinguisher handy, just in case. 

Reheating on a Charcoal or Gas Grill 

The same method of reheating crabs indoors can be used outdoors with a grill! All you will need is either an oven-safe steamer pot (no plastic parts) or roasting pan. 

Steamer Pot Method– Place the base of your steamer pot on the grill grates, directly over your heat source. Fill the base with the recommended amount of liquid (water, beer, broth, etc…), place the steamer insert on top, and cover with the lid. Once you see steam, it is time to add your crabs. Reheat for 5-10 minutes (depending on the size of your steamer basket and number of crabs) or until the crabs are piping hot. 

Roasting Pan Method– Place the base of your roasting pan, complete with wire rack insert, on the grill grates, directly over your heat source. Fill the base with just enough liquid to touch the bottom of the wire rack insert. Cover and preheat until you see steam. Once you see steam, add your crabs, and reheat for 5-10 minutes or until the crabs are piping hot.

Reheating on a Campfire 

Whether grate or no-grate, you can easily reheat crabs over an open fire. 

Grate- We love a good cast-iron camp pot, especially if it comes with a steamer basket. Now, you won’t be able to steam as many crabs at a time (depending on the size of your camp pot), but we have a hack for that as well. 

Place the base of your steamer pot on the grates, directly over your campfire. Fill the base with the recommended amount of liquid (water, beer, broth, etc…), add the steamer insert, and cover with the lid. Once you see steam, it is time to add your crabs. Reheat for 5-10 minutes or until the crabs are piping hot. If you’re reheating in batches, place a metal or aluminum pan near your campfire (but away from the direct flame), ladle a little bit of the hot liquid into the pan. Once the batch of crabs are reheated, transfer them to this side pan, and cover with foil to keep warm. Rotate the pan occasionally for even access to the warmth. 

No Grate– Once your roaring campfire has dwindled to the hot coal stage, clear a patch in the center (large enough space to snuggly accommodate your cast-iron steamer pot). Carefully place your steamer pot in the clearing, fill with the recommended amount of liquid, add the steamer insert, and cover. Once your pot is set, shovel or position some of the hot coals closer to your pot (if necessary). Once you see steam, it is time to add your crabs. Reheat for 5-10 minutes or until the crabs are piping hot.

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Reheating on a Camp Stove 

The same method of reheating in a steamer pot works for camp stoves as well. Just make sure your steamer pot isn’t too large for your camp stove (we do not want our coveted crabs to tip over). 

Place the base of your steamer pot on the camp stove. Fill the base with the recommended amount of liquid (water, beer, broth, etc…), add the steamer insert, and cover with the lid. Bring the liquid to a simmer over medium-high heat. Once you see steam, it is time to add your crabs. Reheat for 5-10 minutes (depending on the size of your steamer basket and number of crabs) or until the crabs are piping hot.

Cooler Steaming 

You may have seen this cooler-cooking technique used with fresh corn. We find that what’s good for corn is equally good for reheating crabs! Make sure you use a durable, high-grade plastic cooler (not styrofoam), with a drain plug, when using this reheat technique.  

Place your cooler close to your work surface (less distance to travel with hot liquids) and position your cooler so the drain plug is facing downhill or away from people and your campsite. Line the bottom of the cooler with a couple wire racks and add your crabs. Place a large pot on your grill, campfire, grate or camp stove, fill 3/4-full with liquid (water, beer, broth, etc…), cover, and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, carefully pour the hot liquid into your cooler, filling with just enough liquid to touch the bottom of the wire rack. Cover and steam for 10 minutes or until the crabs are piping hot. Open the lid, carefully remove the plug (I like doing this with a pair of tongs), and drain away the hot liquid before retrieving your crabs.  

You Have the Means…All You Need Now are the Crabs! 

Whether you’re camping or grilling, no feast is complete without blue crabs! We have oodles of blue crab options available on our website, from jumbo to standard. Click the link here to explore more! 

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