Soft Shell Crabs

Soft Shell Crab Season kicks off in May, with soft shell crabs from the shores of Chesapeake Bay. DLM purchases the very freshest crabs! The goal is to have them from boat to dock within two hours! Only the super-fresh, liveliest crabs are selected for shipment and packed in cool sea grasses. Wet and iced, the crabs arrive at Dorothy Lane Market daily and then are rushed out to DLM customers to ensure peak freshness!

Soft Shell Crabs are blue crabs which are going through their annual “molting” cycle. Known as “Callinectes sapidus” which translates as “tasty, beautiful swimmer”, soft shell crabs are a true seasonal delicacy. After a long winter burrowed down in the mud, the crabs emerge and shed their too-small shell. During this short window of shedding the crabs are harvested by Maryland watermen, who have been trained for generations to recognize the signs of the first shed.

Soft Shell Crabs come in a variety of sizes, with Primes being the most popular. Primes are sized between 4½ - 5 inches across the back. Crabs must be dressed (cleaned) prior to eating. Once dressed, the entire crab can be eaten.

To dress crabs: Cut away the eyes and mouth. Fold back one side of the top shell, exposing the gills (which are gray-white and feathery looking). Pull away and discard the gills from both sides of the crab. Turn the crab over and fold back the tail flap, called the apron. Pull the apron away from the body and discard.