Stone Crabs Are Here!

Stone crab season starts on October 15th of every year and runs through May 15. During that time Mr. Fish Seafood receives thousands of pounds of stone crabs straight from the fishermen which we then distribute through our retail store in Pompano Beach, Florida and nationwide via overnight delivery. Since we began operations, stone crabs have been our best selling item and customers across the United States scramble to reserve the first batch of stone crabs in the beginning of October. Because of their popularity, stone crabs never remain in our case too long so you know you'll get a delicious, fresh stone crab feast from Mr. Fish.

Our stone crabs come in four sizes: Medium, Large, Jumbo and Colossal, with the largest claws sometimes weighing in at one full pound. Ideally, they will be enjoyed with our mustard based stone crab sauce, which complements the taste of the stone crab perfectly.

Remember though, the stone crabs shell is hard, so you'll need a mallet to break it open. And we suggest that you crack them just before eating, otherwise you risk drying out the delicate meat.

Some Background on the Stone Crab:

Stone crabs are harvested mainly in the Southeastern United States. Most of our stone crabs come from the Gulf of Mexico, where they are harvested in a unique and sustainable way. Firstly, stone crab traps are made in such a way that minimizes by-catch, allowing other sea life caught in the traps to escape. Once stone crabs are caught, their claws must be 2 3/4 inches or more to be harvested and only one claw may be taken from each crab. Stone crabs, much like lizards can re-grow their claw and since there is very little meat in the body of the crab they are returned to their natural habitat alive where they can defend themselves with their remaining claw and grow a new second claw. Because of this sustainable harvesting, the United States can enjoy plentiful supply, while not overfishing the species.

Once the claws are harvested they are cooked almost immediately upon reaching land. Once cooked, they are cooled and sent by land and air to wholesalers and retailers like us. Cooking the stone crab immediately means a juicier, more tender meat that doesn't stick to the shell.

The other benefit of this sustainable harvesting is that all stone crabs come from wild fisheries...there is no aquaculture market for the crab. That means that the next stone crab you enjoy is guaranteed to come from their beautiful natural habitat.