spanish are back

[nipper]

Saw a food network show the other day about Joe's Stone Crab in Miami. They said the crabs grow the claws back in 1 1/2-2 years. Does it take that long? Can you only take off one claw at a time or can you leave the poor critters without any claws at all? Can you eat any other part of the crab?

[phatdaddy]

you can take both at one time and some say it's actually better for the crab. with one claw they will still try to defend territory and fight other crabs, but with both gone, they hunker down in the mud and wait until they get a new set. i don't know how long they take to regenerate, but a year and half seems reasonable. all you eat is the claws. on the blue crab, you eat the claws and the body meat

[Blue_Runner]

Stone crabs are awesome cause they are a renewable resource. On blue crabs I just about don't care to pick thru all the body meat, but love the claws.