How to store cooked crab

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How long does cooked crab meat last in the fridge? The precise answer to that question depends to a large extent on storage conditions - refrigerate crab meat within two hours of cooking.

To maximize the shelf life of cooked crab meat for safety and quality, refrigerate the crab meat in shallow airtight containers or wrap tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil or plastic wrap.

Properly stored, cooked crab meat will last for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator.

To further extend the shelf life of cooked crab meat, freeze it; freeze in covered airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags, or wrap tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil or freezer wrap.

How long does cooked crab meat last in the freezer? Properly stored, it will maintain best quality for about 2 to 3 months, but will remain safe beyond that time.

The freezer time shown is for best quality only - cooked crab meat that has been kept constantly frozen at 0°F will keep safe indefinitely.

How long does cooked crab meat last after being frozen and thawed? Cooked crab meat that has been thawed in the fridge can be kept for an additional 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator before cooking; crab meat that was thawed in the microwave or in cold water should be eaten immediately.

How long does cooked crab meat last at room temperature? Bacteria grow rapidly at temperatures between 40 °F and 140 °F; cooked crab meat should be discarded if left for more than 2 hours at room temperature.

How to tell if cooked crab meat is bad? The best way is to smell and look at the crab meat: signs of bad crab meat are a sour smell and a slimy texture; discard any crab meat with an off smell or appearance, do not taste first.