Photography and text by Corey Amaro:
French Husband and I went line crabbing with Julia (I met Lynn (through blogging) who introduced me to Julia.)
Julia is a Southern Belle who has been crabbing since she was four years old.
An expert is putting it mildly.
We went out on the May River during low tide, up a creek that had nearly a foot of water.
Julia taught us crabbing with lines.
French Husband and I both had two lines, with chicken necks on the end… Yes, chicken necks. French Husband hooked them, un hooked them and put the crabs in the bucket. I guess you could say I sort of went crabbing. I dropped and pulled the lines up, that counts for something doesn't it!
We caught 64 crabs on four lines. We threw back the small ones (under five inches) and the females.
Later Julia showed us how to cook them (in a large pot outside, she brought the seasoned/salted water to a boil, then added the live crabs one by one. Cooking for another thirty minutes after the water returned to a boil.)
Blue crabs cooked turn orange. A rusty blue crab is a older tastier one.
Then she cracked and cleaned them in record breaking speed.
French Husband has declared his love for Southern cooking, women, crabbing, and Bluffton.
Now only if he can change his accent.
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