""Fresh crab legs should have a clean, salty ocean smell - not that overpowering fishy odor," he said. After having a sniff, pay close attention to the shells; they should be "firm, shiny, and free of cracks," an indicator that the legs were handled with care rather than being recklessly tossed around. Next on the check list is color. "[A] bright, vibrant color also means they were likely frozen at peak freshness," Foltz explains."
"When peering into the seafood display, you might notice that some crabs have small black spots on the shells; Foltz assures us not to worry about them. "These spots don't affect the quality or flavor of the crab meat inside, so no need to worry," he says. "Consider it just a bit of character from the crab's ocean adventures." The spots are often merely imperfections in the shell, caused by "exposure to sea elements like barnacles," which are common in ocean life and generally harmless."
Fresh crab legs have a clean, salty ocean smell rather than an overpowering fishy odor. Shells should be firm, shiny, and free of cracks, which indicates careful handling. Bright, vibrant color typically means the legs were frozen at peak freshness. Many crab legs are frozen for transport unless sourced locally from Alaska, western Canada, or the Pacific Northwest. Proper thawing is important for best results. Small black spots or shell imperfections are common and usually caused by exposure to sea elements like barnacles. Those spots do not affect the quality or flavor of the crab meat inside.
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