How long is Canned Crab Meat Good for?

If you live nowhere near the coastal area where you can get freshest and live crabs then canned crab meat is for sure your alternative when you want to taste a bit of seafood dish. Canned crab meat can be purchased easily at supermarket or grocery stores even when you live in big cities. How long is canned crab meat good for is depends on the condition. If you do not open the lids then they can even last for years. Different case is happen when you already opened the lids of canned crab meat.

How long is canned crab meat good for?
Pasteurized canned crab meat can be found in refrigerated seafood section at the most grocery stores or supermarket. How long is canned crab meat good for dishes? Basically, they can last for years when they are not opened. It is because the pressure heated or pasteurized process that kill the bacteria as well as make the shelves life to go longer than most of other crab meat products such as frozen crab meat. The canned crab meat is cooked under pressured heat and then stored inside one pound air vacuumed cans or containers.
Pasteurized canned crab meat will be easy to spoil once you open the can lid. So, you should eat or use that within two days. However, how long is canned crab meat good for when stored in the freezer or fridge? When the lid of the canned crab is already opened and you store the left over inside coldest part of the freezer or fridge then it is depend on the storage conditions. But if you want to make the canned crab meat last longer, just make sure that they are refrigerated all times. Of course you should still eat them within 2 to 3 days.

You can maximize the shelf life of opened canned crab meat by take them out of the cans (do not forget to remove the waters) and put them into shallow airtight container or plastic wrap or you can wrap them with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Never store the crab meat in refrigerator still in their original cans because the meats will be quick to spoil and they will taste like the cans. Refrigerate them after.
Some notes you should pay attention to store opened canned crab meat:
-          You need to properly store the canned crab and once you open it, you should use them within 2 to 3 days although you already put them inside refrigerator.
-          How long is canned crab last when they are left in the room temperature? It is not recommended to just leave the opened canned crab meat in the room temperature for hours because when you leave them more than 2 hours, the bacteria will start to grow rapidly at temperatures between 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. You should throw the canned crab meat away when you see the meat start to spoil.

-          In order to maintain the shelf life of opened crab meat in cans further more then you need to freeze them properly. Once again take them out of the cans (do not forget to remove the waters) and put them into shallow airtight container or plastic freezer bags or you can wrap them with heavy-duty aluminum foil. After that put them into the coldest part of the freezer.
How long is canned crab meat good for when properly frozen? If you properly kept the opened canned crab meat inside freezer then they can last for 3 months. However, they may remain safe beyond that time. Of course it is valid for best quality of canned crab meat and when they are stored or maintained properly. If the pasteurized crab meat is constantly stored in freezer with temperature setting of 0 degrees Fahrenheit then they are mostly safe for longer time.

Thawed opened canned crab meat after frozen
The next thing you should pay attention is about canned crab meat that thawed properly after being stored in the freezer. How long is canned crab meat good for when they are already thawed? If you take out the crab meat out of the freezer and then thaw them properly overnight by leave the meat in fridge then they can be kept for additional 2 to 3 days inside refrigerator before you use them. However, if you thaw the crab meat with cold water or microwave then you should use or eat them right away. Please take note that never try to refrozen the crab meat again after you thaw it because it will taste so bad.
How to tell if the pasteurized canned crab meat is already turned bad or spoilage? Well, you do not need to taste them first just to make sure whether the crab meat still good or not. You can check their appearance and smell them to ensure that they are already rotten. If they smell bad or stink then discard them quickly.

How to buy canned crab meat?
When you visit grocery stores or supermarket, pasteurized canned crab meat mostly displayed in the refrigerated section of the seafood and since there are many brands of canned crab, you need to be smart when choosing the best crab meat in cans. Below is some guides you can follow when you want to buy canned crab meat in grocery stores:
1.      Never buy canned crab meat if you spot that the cans are leaked or damaged or the lids are already opened. Move to another closed can.
2.      Check for the expiratory dates to make sure that they are still edible and not old stocks. The expired date can be seen mostly on the bottom or the side part of the can.
3.      Look for certain labels that mentioned about the BPA free and sustainability. It is better to buy canned crab brands that ensure the sustainability of their products.
4.      Check for the nutritional values and the ingredients info to ensure that there is no additional salt which going to add more sodium in the crab meat or any other unnecessary additives.
Those are few simple guides when you buy canned crab meat and information about how long is canned crab meat good for in many storage conditions.