Reaching the wholesale level for blue crab trading requires a keen understanding of the Maryland-Virginia, and Chesapeake Bay markets. Having customers depend on your knowledge of crab sizes and quality requires a blue crab wholesaler like Mid Atlantic Crab Company on your team who takes the catch from their massive docks to your steamers for the hungry crab fans. You may have customers ask, “How are crabs running right now?” The true waterman knows this question asks if the blue crab has resumed his quest for sustenance in shallower waters. A mass load of 10-legged crabs, swimming sideways to devour a plentiful supply of eelgrass, insects, clams, and the like will certainly fill the pots for a “good run!” Starting April 1 each year for the Chesapeake Bay, blue crabs make the resurgence to life, leaving their burrowed hibernating spots among the muddy depths of the bay. With Mid Atlantic Crab Co., a trusted wholesaler, the run is always good, and if not, we’ll lead you to the calendar for charted expectations of the Mother Load of Blue Crabs.
Always USA and bearing the quality as the blue logo on freshly picked jumbo, lump, or claw meat, each 2.5-bushel crate of #1, #2, and #3 male “jimmies” and female “sooks” crabs fill the transport reefers to local restaurants and businesses. No matter how many times the crew goes through the carboard crates and grades the sizes, they celebrate when they find jumbos, crabs measuring 6 ¼” or better. The key is catching them before the shedding or molting with their shells bursting with robust crab meat. Culturally, the Mid-Atlantic state’s crab fans search out crab houses for the “beautiful swimmer that is savory,” so keeping blue crabs on a seafood menu can certainly give credibility to your brand.
Fine-tuning the experience requires a few time-tested recipe essentials to steaming the crabs. One, use JO#2 with the larger flakes that adhere to the hard shells better. Other spices wash away in the intense steam, negating the purpose of the peppery pop. In fact, many customers attest the flakes’ presence on the hard shell intensifies the meat’s robust flavor. Two, keep your eyes on the throttle and steam the crabs at ¾ steam for approximately 17 minutes for a dozen, 22 minutes for a half bushel and 32 minutes for a bushel. Always keep your eyes on the crabs and once you notice a deepening orange, know that it’s feasting time! Partnering with a blue crab trading partner for a massive catch of blue crabs ensures, with all the expertise, you’ll deliver the “True Maryland Blue Crab Experience” to your customer!
(Posted by Crab House, 4/28/26)