Dungeness crab is named after the coastal town of Dungeness, Washington, where most of the crabs originate. This hard-shelled crustacean is the most harvested commercial crab along the North Pacific Coast, according to the Dungeness website. It is used in many recipes, including crab cakes, freshly steamed crab legs or other crab delicacies. If you plan to cook Dungeness crab at home, you'll need to store it both before and after cooking. If properly stored, fresh Dungeness crab should last four days in the refrigerator before cooking, and four months in the freezer after cooking.
Before Cooking
Fill a large food storage bag with ice.
Insert the fresh Dungeness crab in the plastic bag so the ice is covering all or most of the crab.
Place the bag in the refrigerator. Cook the Dungeness crab within four days or the quality of the crab will diminish.
After Cooking
Allow the Dungeness crab to cool before freezing.
Place the cooked Dungeness crab in a food storage bag meant for the freezer. Protect it from freezer burn by double bagging it in a second freezer bag.
Put the cooked Dungeness crab in the freezer. Keep the freezer at 0 degrees Fahrenheit to keep it safe, according to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service website. Take it out and reheat the crab within four months to ensure top quality.
Tip
Fresh Dungeness crab shouldn't smell fishy. If it's fishy, it won't have the proper taste.
References
Writer Bio
Trisha Bartle began her writing career in 2007, with work appearing in publications such as "Adventures for the Average Woman" and DexKnows Weddings. She has also been a professional wedding photographer since 2001. Bartle holds an Associate of Applied Science in programming and game development.