Stone crabs are a crab that comes to shore during the fall, shedding their shells. This process is called molting, and the crabs must grow. Stone crabs are usually found in Florida, but other types of crabs can be used in recipes. It’s best to buy stone crab claws during this time because they are most flavorful and at their peak. Fall is also a great time to cook stone crabs because they are much more flexible than when they’re raw. This post will explore what you should keep in mind when buying, eating, and cooking stone crabs. You might want to use this information next time you buy them.

What Is a Stone Crab?

A stone crab is a crab that comes to shore in the fall and sheds its shell. Unlike crabs, this process is called molting, and the crabs must grow. Some people think that stone crabs are the same as other crabs. They are entirely different species. The stone crab has a thicker shell than other crabs and is found mostly in Florida, but there is also stone crab season in Florida.

Stone Crabs Are Different from Other Crabs

Stone crabs have thicker shells than other types of crabs. They also have ridges on their shells called tubercles used for defense against predators. The ridges on their shells can be up to an inch long! You can see these ridges if you look closely at some stone crab claws at a store or restaurant.

When Do They Come Out? Where Do They Go?

Stone crabs are usually out of their shells by September or October. Some crabs may stay out of their shells until November, but most come out after Labor Day. If you go to a store in the fall and see them in their shells, they’re most likely just resting. A crab is not done growing until it reaches its full size, so it won’t eat or move around until it shedsits shell.

When they are ready to molt, a stone crab will take about two weeks to do this. During that time, the stone crab will shed its shell one layer at a time. When the last layer is gone, the crab will be completely free from its shell and ready to eat.

What Are the Different Types of Stone Crabs?

Stone crab claws are not only delicious, but they’re also absorbing! There are two main types of stone crabs: hard shells and softshells. The hard shell stone crab has more enormous claws with thicker shells than soft shell stone crabs (pictured above). Softshell crabs have smaller claws with thinner shells that molt more frequently than larger counterparts.