Cheapest Place to buy Crab

[Speed_69]

Where is the cheapest place to buy crab?

Looked at Superstore and T&T and they're both $9.99/lb for the large crab.

[Kloubek]

Go the the peelers. They'll give them to you for free.

[TurboD]

monty's on ed and mcknight, used to have all you can eat snow crap on sundays, and if you eat 100 lbs that works out to be about 36 cents per pound.

not bad, but only catch (no pun intended) is that you have to eat this within their business hours that day

[nonlinear]

i think you'll get some better suggestions if you can give some more info - e.g. what are you going to be using it for what kind of crab are you looking for? does it need to be alive, "fresh," or frozen? do you want whole crabs, legs, or pieces? what about imitation crab?

not sure why anyone would want the cheapest crab they can find (:barf: ), but hey, who knows? maybe it's for cat food or something haha

[B20EF]

Lucky supermarket has some cheap prices but, i never really felt that confident with their quality. I still get it at T&T.

[theken]

i got 6 legs from blu seafood market a couple days ago, paid 68 bucks and they were friggen huge

[BigDannyCool]

from the back of the trucks on the side of the road.

[GQBalla]

bookers for all you can eat snow crab.

38 bucks a person

[szw]

Originally posted by nonlinear
i think you'll get some better suggestions if you can give some more info - e.g. what are you going to be using it for what kind of crab are you looking for? does it need to be alive, "fresh," or frozen? do you want whole crabs, legs, or pieces? what about imitation crab?

not sure why anyone would want the cheapest crab they can find (:barf: ), but hey, who knows? maybe it's for cat food or something haha

He already said it was 9.99/lb and he said live crab...that means...whole live dungness crab.

Its a live crab...a more expensive one won't be necessarily any better.

[nonlinear]

^^i didn't conclude that from reading the initial post. he is asking for the "cheapest crab," and that he's only seen it live at those places for $9.99/lb.

you can buy many different types of crab in many different forms at many different prices. I just think it will be way easier to give good suggestions if he can be more explicit about what he wants. :dunno:

[Speed_69]

Originally posted by nonlinear
i think you'll get some better suggestions if you can give some more info - e.g. what are you going to be using it for what kind of crab are you looking for? does it need to be alive, "fresh," or frozen? do you want whole crabs, legs, or pieces? what about imitation crab?

not sure why anyone would want the cheapest crab they can find (:barf: ), but hey, who knows? maybe it's for cat food or something haha

Sorry, I admit my initial post was abit vague. I am looking for live whole crab.

I don't eat crab very much but is blue crab any good?

[nonlinear]

if you're looking for whole live crab, then i think T&T and superstore would probably have the cheapest. i usually get mine at sobeys. i don't really have a reason why, but i suspect that their crab is a bit fresher than superstore and T&T.

if you're gonna prepare live crab, cost should be the least of your concern. what is most important is how "fresh" they are - i.e. how long has it been since they've been caught. the various crab species we eat are from the bottom of the sea, where it is very cold and under high pressure. when a crab is removed from these conditions it stops eating, and the quality of the meat begins to degrade so that it gets rubbery and spongy.

IMO, it's better to pay a buck or two more per pound for the freshest crab you can find.

[gatorade]

superstore is usually the cheapest, right now they have lobsters for about 9.99 /lb

[szw]

Originally posted by nonlinear
if you're looking for whole live crab, then i think T&T and superstore would probably have the cheapest. i usually get mine at sobeys. i don't really have a reason why, but i suspect that their crab is a bit fresher than superstore and T&T.

if you're gonna prepare live crab, cost should be the least of your concern. what is most important is how "fresh" they are - i.e. how long has it been since they've been caught. the various crab species we eat are from the bottom of the sea, where it is very cold and under high pressure. when a crab is removed from these conditions it stops eating, and the quality of the meat begins to degrade so that it gets rubbery and spongy.

IMO, it's better to pay a buck or two more per pound for the freshest crab you can find.

Honestly I doubt sobeys crabs are any different from superstores crabs. They all use the same suppliers and I'd say the cheaper store would move more crap which means they may even have fresher supply. I think you're really overestimating the case though, live crab is live crab.

[TDA]

Originally posted by szw


Honestly I doubt sobeys crabs are any different from superstores crabs. They all use the same suppliers and I'd say the cheaper store would move more crap which means they may even have fresher supply. I think you're really overestimating the case though, live crab is live crab.

Ask anyone who knows lobsters about hardshell lobsters vs regular - just because the shell is that big doesn't mean that there is good meat or that amount underneath.

But yes, freshness is basically the key, you don't want a crab/lobster that has been languishing in a tank for weeks starving away its meat.

[szw]

Originally posted by TDA


Ask anyone who knows lobsters about hardshell lobsters vs regular - just because the shell is that big doesn't mean that there is good meat or that amount underneath.

But yes, freshness is basically the key, you don't want a crab/lobster that has been languishing in a tank for weeks starving away its meat.

Sure, but what does that have to do with Sobeys vs Superstore craps being fresher?

[TDA]

that was directed at "live crab is live crab". Big difference between fresh out of the water live crab and nearly dead live crab.

[szw]

Got'cha, I should have said it more clearly, what I meant was that live crap at the major supermarket chains are all pretty much of the same freshness, IMO.

[nonlinear]

i have no idea, but i can sure tell you that the produce and all other meats at sobeys are in an entirely different league of freshness than the other large chains.... so i assume it would be the same with crab, too.

also, sobeys only keeps a limited number on hand, while the tanks at t&t and superstore are huge. i would imagine that when they get new ones, they just dump them in the huge tank with the old ones, so you really can't tell how old the one you're getting is. (you CAN feel the shell on the legs, though, and try and bend it. if it's bendy the crab is not fresh - as the starvation process also draws calcium from the shell).

[RX_EVOLV]

the super market across from New Asia mall, last time I check ( yesterday) they were $6.99/pound

[clem24]

Originally posted by nonlinear
if it's bendy the crab is not fresh - as the starvation process also draws calcium from the shell).

You sure about that.. If you're referring to "soft shell" then it has more to do with molting cycle than starvation...

[BlackArcher101]

An internet search brought up this place. Probably not the cheapest, but worth a shot. I never ever buy seafood from chains, always from seafood shops. The difference is night and day. If you are trying to impress family or a girl, do it right. If you buy cheap they will notice.

Boyd's Lobster Shop
1511 14 ST SW, CALGARY, AB

http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/calgarybusiness/story.html?id=e0249da1-f6fb-4cfd-8797-ca3105fcd412

Also check Costco, as now and then they'll bring in a tank with live crab and lobster and it's not old, as they only do so when they have fresh caught stuff.

[nonlinear]

Originally posted by clem24


You sure about that.. If you're referring to "soft shell" then it has more to do with molting cycle than starvation...

yea i am. soft shell crab is a different thing entirely, and i don't think you would ever find that for sale (alive) in calgary. you need to head south for that.