It's Softshell Season In The Mid-Atlantic
Tags: Food
Softshell crabs are a lovely delicacy for crab-lovers and they are only available for a few short weeks out of the year. That time is now. When they are in season, many if not all of the fine dining establishments and all of the "crab shacks" advertise that they are serving soft shells. This is a regional specialty. Hurry and get them while you can.
In the Chesapeake, crabs usually begin to molt after the first full moon in May and continue through until September; though crabs from Florida and Georgia are available as early as March. This year, the run began late because of the cold, rainy spring. Peak season, when both males and female x crabs shed their shells, is happening now and will last until early June. 2009 is expected to be a bumper year, with harvests at least 25 percent higher than in 2007.
Whether you enjoy your crabs in linen tablcloth luxury with a lovely white wine, at a waterside crab shack with a cold brew or in an ethnic establishment such as Chinese or Vietnamese with a pot of tea, you will be having a traditional dining experience of a regional specialty fresh and in season. Then you will know that you have partaken of a genuine local tradition.
Softshell crabs are a lovely delicacy for crab-lovers and they are only available for a few short weeks out of the year. That time is now. When they are in season, many if not all of the fine dining establishments and all of the "crab shacks" advertise that they are serving soft shells. This is a regional specialty. Hurry and get them while you can.
In the Chesapeake, crabs usually begin to molt after the first full moon in May and continue through until September; though crabs from Florida and Georgia are available as early as March. This year, the run began late because of the cold, rainy spring. Peak season, when both males and female x crabs shed their shells, is happening now and will last until early June. 2009 is expected to be a bumper year, with harvests at least 25 percent higher than in 2007.
Whether you enjoy your crabs in linen tablcloth luxury with a lovely white wine, at a waterside crab shack with a cold brew or in an ethnic establishment such as Chinese or Vietnamese with a pot of tea, you will be having a traditional dining experience of a regional specialty fresh and in season. Then you will know that you have partaken of a genuine local tradition.