Crayfish poisoning: symptoms and treatment

How to boil crayfish in water, how much salt?

Hidden in the lifestyle of representatives of these crustaceans is the answer to the question that worries almost everyone, whether it is possible to boil dead crayfish.
Of course, if they were cooked alive, then they are very tasty and even healthy. But the dead ones are not only not so tasty, but can even pose a certain threat to human health.

The main reason is their diet. Since crayfish do not disdain carrion, many different, including quite harmful, microbes accumulate in their organs, some of which are extremely dangerous. After death, crayfish carcasses quickly decompose and become rotten. This can be determined by an unpleasant specific smell. But if you cook and eat a dead crayfish, you may, at best, get poisoned. In the worst case, the consequences can be much more severe.

Improper storage of crayfish will lead to the death of many individuals.

Many people, when boiling dead crayfish, add salt and various spices in the hope of eliminating the unpleasant smell. But this is also dangerous, because even if you can cope with the smell, you will not be able to improve the quality of the meat and kill harmful microorganisms. As a result, do not regret wasted time and effort, but simply throw away your catch and do not put your health in danger.

We hope that, as a result, you should not cook dead crayfish, you understand. Don't try to experiment! The price of such experiments is your health or the health of those you will treat. It’s better to work hard and catch more crayfish, or just spend more money and buy it.

Bon appetit, eat only quality foods!

Loading …

Rules for boiling crayfish

Cooking time for crayfish can range from 15 to 25 minutes. The time period will depend solely on the size of this aquatic inhabitant. For small specimens, 15 minutes are enough to reach readiness, but large crayfish need to be boiled for at least 20

But, if for some reason you missed the moment and did not note the time, then you can use the hint that our great-grandfathers used. As soon as this aquatic resident changes its swamp-green color to bright red, then it’s time to get it out of the boiling water

The taste of this delicacy is greatly influenced by the amount of salt in the cooking broth. If you overdo it with this component or do not add the required amount, the finished dish will turn out to be unsuitable for consumption.

In order for the beer snack to be tasty, you need to put 1 tbsp for each liter of broth. l salt. And even if such a quantity of this product scares you, crayfish will take exactly as much salt as they need

Live crayfish is the guarantee that its meat will have excellent tasting qualities.

Crayfish are a fairly perishable product, so you should choose only live ones for cooking. The main indicator of the freshness of an arthropod is an elastic, bent tail pulled up to the abdomen. If you are offered to buy a crayfish with a completely relaxed body and claim that he is sleeping, then simply refuse the purchase.

After all, if a deceased river resident lay on the counter for more than 3 hours, then with a high probability we can say that his meat has already begun to deteriorate. But even if the seller managed to deceive you, and you brought home a not entirely fresh product, carefully monitor it during cooking

Literally a few minutes after falling into boiling water, a spoiled crayfish will float up, swell a little and begin to emit not very pleasant odors. Such a product must be immediately removed from the brine, otherwise it will spoil the taste of other, quite normal arthropods

Dead crayfish meat, even after heat treatment, can be harmful to human health

Remember, no matter what anyone says, boiling dead crayfish and eating them is strictly prohibited. And the point here is not that the taste of meat in such arthropods deteriorates. In nature, crayfish are considered the orderlies of rivers and lakes, and due to the fact that they feed exclusively on carrion and dead shellfish, quite a lot of harmful substances accumulate in their bodies.

They do not pose a particular danger to the cancer itself, but as soon as it dies, they literally from the first minutes begin to decompose its tissues. Therefore, even if you boil its meat a little more than required, you are unlikely to be able to get rid of pathogenic microflora. But it’s over, if you take a chance and eat such a product, you will most likely get poisoning and an upset stomach.

Boil the crayfish for about 30 minutes until the crayfish is completely shitty.

As mentioned a little above, you need to cook the crayfish until tender for about half an hour. Of course, if the arthropod is small in size, then 10 minutes will be enough for it to reach readiness. But if you are lucky and you were able to get really large specimens, then keep them in boiling water for at least 25 minutes

Moreover, this does not mean at all that they should be cooked at the highest possible temperature all this time. You can prepare a fragrant broth, dip the crayfish into it (it’s best to lower them head down), boil them for literally 15 minutes, and then turn off the heat completely

If you leave these river inhabitants in the hot broth for another 10-15 minutes, they will cook perfectly and you will get a dish with very tender and flavorful meat

Crayfish cooked with dill

If you want the crayfish to be saturated with the aroma of dill as well as possible, then first cook a spicy, rich broth from it and only then dip the arthropods into it.

Recipe:

Fill a saucepan with 3 liters of water and place it on the stove
Add 3 tbsp to it. l salt, 4 pcs. bay leaves and 300 g fresh dill
Bring the liquid to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and let the broth brew
When the spices release their aroma, return the pan to the stove and bring the liquid to a boil.
Dip the prepared crayfish into the boiling broth and boil them for 15-20 minutes

Crayfish are a fairly perishable product, so you need to select only live specimens for cooking. The main indicator that an arthropod is fresh is the presence of an elastic, bent tail pulled into the abdominal area. In the case where the seller offers completely relaxed crayfish, claiming that they have fallen asleep, it is better to refuse such a purchase.

When a dead river arthropod has been in the store for more than 3 hours, it has most likely already begun to deteriorate. If the seller nevertheless tricked you into purchasing such products, you need to diligently monitor the crayfish during the cooking process.

If the cancer has already deteriorated, a couple of minutes after it gets into boiling water:

will float up;
will be slightly swollen;
It will smell very unpleasant.

Such a crayfish should be immediately removed from the water, since it can cause damage to other, completely normal arthropods.

Many people wonder why you can’t boil dead crayfish. This is primarily due to their diet. Such arthropods do not refuse carrion as food; all kinds of microorganisms, and quite harmful ones, accumulate in their bodies in large quantities, and some of them are very dangerous.

When an arthropod dies, its body quickly begins to decompose and rot. You can find out by sniffing the river inhabitant - it will emit an unpleasant, specific aroma. If you cook a dead arthropod, the most harmless consequence will be poisoning.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoEK9wiPqO8

Some people still try to cook dead crayfish, adding salt and all kinds of seasonings to get rid of the unpleasant aroma. However, this should not be done, since although it is still possible to get rid of the smell, it is unlikely that it will be possible to cope with the dangerous bacteria that have settled in the meat of the arthropod. Therefore, you should not waste time and effort on catching crayfish; it is better to simply throw them away and not endanger your own body.

Once you understand why you can't cook dead crayfish, you most likely won't want to experiment with your health. If the catch could not be prepared in time, it is better to start catching arthropods again, or purchase them at the store. To do this, you can visit a specialized store. In addition, if you do decide to purchase crayfish in the store, be sure to choose only fresh product. In this case, you will definitely be able to enjoy a delicious dish without harming your own health.

Despite the wide list of positive qualities, this product also has certain contraindications for use, which you should definitely be aware of.

Excessive consumption of crayfish can cause allergic reactions, which is why they should be eaten in moderate doses. It is strictly forbidden to eat dead crayfish, as there is a high probability of poisoning. For a person with an individual intolerance to the product, such a delicacy can pose a serious danger.

Pregnant women should definitely limit their use of this product to avoid the possibility of developing allergic reactions. Despite the high biological value of crayfish, they are contraindicated for women during lactation. Also, crayfish meat is not recommended for children under three years of age. The reason for this is again the likelihood of allergies, which will negatively affect the child’s health.

In conclusion, it should be said that the benefits and harms of crayfish are two closely related concepts. That is why you need to carefully consider your decision before consuming this product. But, as practice shows, the benefits of this product far exceed its contraindications. Due to its valuable composition, as well as the substances that are found in the cover of crayfish, this product has been successfully used in medicine, dietetics, and cosmetology for many years in a row.

Having brought the water to a boil, it is necessary to begin immersing the arthropods in the seething liquid, one at a time and upside down. If you fill them all up, this will reduce the temperature of the water, the boiling will stop and the crayfish will crawl along the bottom, dying for a long time and painfully. This is impractical not only for humane reasons, but also because it will negatively affect the quality of the meat. How long to cook crayfish after boiling? Arthropods should simmer in a saucepan for 10–15 minutes, without a lid. They need to be stirred periodically.

Crayfish poisoning: symptoms, help, prevention

Each of us has eaten boiled crayfish at least once in our lives. Spring time when catching river creatures brings a lot of pleasure, and also taste pleasure when eating ready-made crayfish meat.

The aroma and tender crayfish meat is incomparable. However, this dietary dish can be not only tasty and healthy, but also unsafe.

If, having tried crayfish for the first time, the outcome was favorable, then with subsequent use you should be more careful. If crustacean meat is harmless, why do cases of poisoning occur?

Everyone knows that this delicacy is very tasty and healthy, so not only adults, but also children love to eat it.

Even the fact that a small amount of meat has to be obtained with a lot of effort, this does not stop those who like to feast on it, since it is not only tender and pleasant to the taste, but also dietary.

The product contains a minimum amount of calories (78-90 per 100 grams);
Crayfish meat is rich in B vitamins, which have a beneficial effect on the digestion, cardiovascular, and nervous systems;
In addition to protein, crustaceans contain a complex of vitamins D, C, E, K, as well as microelements such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, fluorine, chromium, iron, sulfur, which contribute to the normal functioning of internal organs and systems.

If dietary crayfish meat is so beneficial, why do poisonings occur with it, and why does this happen?

Despite the usefulness, deliciousness and nutrients of crustacean meat, consuming it in some cases can lead to an unfavorable outcome.

Death after eating crayfish is quite rare, of course, but if they are not prepared correctly, the unexpected can happen.

The easiest outcome of poisoning is an allergy to the meat eaten. Despite the seemingly safe composition of the product, allergic rashes are often observed, especially in children;
A similar illness can occur due to low-quality meat. Proper cooking involves boiling the crayfish while they are still alive; if you cook crayfish that are already dead, there is a high probability that their meat has already been spoiled;
Crayfish meat spoils very quickly, so after cooking it must be consumed as quickly as possible to prevent the development of foodborne infections;
The cooked crayfish should be placed in a washed glass container. This is a prerequisite, since aluminum and other metal containers oxidize the meat, thereby accelerating the infection process;
This product is not recommended for use by people who have problems with the thyroid gland.

Manifested poisoning by this product is expressed by different symptoms, and it depends on the state of human health.

Food poisoning:

Continuous vomiting;
Nausea;
Fatigue;
Intestinal pain;
Stomach bloating;
Diarrhea.

In some cases:

Fever;
Arrhythmia;
Tachycardia;
Loss of consciousness.

Protein can trigger an allergic reaction, which manifests itself in different ways. Skin rashes and itching, urticaria. With such symptoms, you should stop eating crayfish, otherwise the picture may worsen: in addition to a skin rash, the allergy can affect internal organs.

It happens when poisoning leads to asthma attacks.

First aid

How to behave if you are poisoned by crayfish meat? If the poisoning has not worsened, you can completely recover at home by eliminating the use of the product. In the absence of fever and obvious deterioration in health, it is enough to take medications that normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

Urticaria is treated with antihistamines. In addition, you should exclude protein and protein foods from your diet.

It is worth remembering that available drugs do not always help, since complications such as anaphylactic shock can be fatal.

What to do to prevent complications from crayfish meat poisoning?

Ensure the freshness of food and raw product before cooking;
Do not store finished crayfish in metal containers, but transfer them to glass or ceramic dishes.
Crayfish meat should be consumed as soon as possible after cooking. If you ordered crayfish in a restaurant and want to make sure it is fresh, pay attention to its tail, it should be tucked.
If you have been poisoned by seafood at least once, you should not continue to eat it; the allergy may overcome you in the future.
Before cooking, crayfish must be thoroughly rinsed and dried.

Boiled crayfish are not poisoned very often, but it does happen. Despite the seemingly high-quality meat, you may encounter manifestations of allergic reactions.

Who hasn't tried boiled crayfish at least once in their life? Summer fishing for these crustaceans brings not only moral pleasure. The sweetish taste of tender meat cannot be compared with anything. But such a tasty delicacy may not be as healthy as we would like.

If you are lucky and the first time you used this product went well, then it is better to prepare for the next one. Is it possible to get poisoned by crayfish or is it an absolutely safe dish?

It’s easy to understand why crayfish are included in the list of delicacies not only for adults. Despite the fact that the insignificant amount of meat that has to be extracted from under the dense shell causes more trouble than pleasure, this delicacy is still considered not only tasty, but also dietary. Why?

This is a low-calorie product - 100 grams contain only 78-90 calories.
The meat of this animal contains B vitamins (B1, B12, B6, B2), which have a positive effect on the nervous and digestive systems and improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
Crustaceans live in almost pure water, which indicates the quality of the product.
In addition to vitamins D, C, E, K, protein also contains many useful microelements: calcium, magnesium, nickel, fluorine, chromium, iron, sulfur and many others. They improve metabolism and normalize the functioning of internal organs.

If meat is so healthy, why does crayfish poisoning occur? Is this possible in principle?

Healthy and high-quality protein from crayfish meat sometimes leads to health problems. Of course, death from crayfish poisoning is an extremely rare condition, but anything can happen if these crustaceans are consumed incorrectly. What are the consequences after eating cancer meat?

Allergic reaction to the product. Despite the almost ideal composition, the meat is identical to other crustaceans that live in the sea. Reactions often develop to them. Allergies occur especially often in childhood.
Food poisoning with crayfish, possibly due to a poor-quality product. They need to be cooked while still alive, otherwise there is a high probability that the meat will be slightly spoiled. This is a perishable product and must be consumed as soon as possible after cooking to avoid developing a food infection.
An important condition for storing already cooked crayfish is clean glassware. In aluminum, due to the high sulfur content, meat quickly oxidizes and spoils.
People with thyroid diseases should not eat this product - the course of disease processes worsens, and some diseases become aggravated.

When crayfish poisoning occurs, symptoms and treatment depend on the type of health problem.

With food poisoning, nausea, repeated vomiting, weakness, abdominal pain along the intestines, and stool disturbances appear. Possible fever, dizziness, headaches, rapid heartbeat, lack of appetite. Manifestations depend on the amount of product eaten and on the individual characteristics of the body. With a mild degree, a person can get by with just nausea and weakness.
The development of allergic reactions to crustacean protein also occurs in different ways. Here, the symptoms of crayfish poisoning can change before your eyes. Mild itching of the skin and minor rashes such as urticaria quickly go away when this dish is discontinued. But if the meal continues, the rash begins to intensify, covering almost the entire skin, and sometimes the mucous membranes.
In rare cases, the reaction to the protein is so strong that the person experiences a feeling of lack of air, swelling of the laryngeal mucosa begins and anaphylactic shock develops.

antihistamines

What to do if you are poisoned by crayfish? If you are lucky and the health problems are minimal, you just need to completely cancel this dish.

For mild food poisoning without fever and significant health problems, you can take medications that normalize intestinal microflora and antibacterial substances.

An allergic reaction such as urticaria is treated with antihistamines and eliminating crustacean protein from the diet.

Severe food infection and severe allergies are indications for immediate hospitalization of a person.

This is the only possible treatment for crayfish poisoning. You should not hope that the strongest medications at hand will help. In the case of anaphylactic shock, death can occur in a matter of minutes.

How to prevent health problems when eating crayfish meat?

Eat only fresh produce. It is better to cook live crayfish.
You should not put cooked meat in aluminum dishes; give preference to glass or ceramic ones.
Protein should be consumed within the first hours after preparation. How can you tell if the crayfish was cooked fresh if you ordered it at a restaurant? - He should have his tail between his legs.
If you have ever had a reaction to seafood, do not rush to eat crayfish meat; you will also develop an allergy to it.
Wash the crayfish well and dry before cooking.

Poisoning from boiled crayfish is rare, but quite possible. This is either ordinary food poisoning that occurs when meat is cooked poorly, or a severe allergic reaction to protein components. To avoid these problems, you need to be attentive not only to your health, but also to the process of preparing crayfish.

Preventative measures for crayfish poisoning:

to prevent infection, catch crayfish yourself, especially in known environmentally friendly places;
After catching, do not store crayfish in an aluminum or galvanized bucket; it is better to choose ceramics, glass or plastic;
Before cooking, rinse the crayfish well;
Before cooking, store live crayfish in water in a dark, cool place for no more than 3 days, often changing the water and feeding them with meat, fish, grated carrots, and boiled potatoes. It is important that they do not die or deteriorate. When throwing crayfish into boiling water, you need to check whether each one is alive. Even 1 dead crayfish can ruin the entire dish;
eat only fresh, just boiled crayfish;
follow the rules for storing perishable products: boiled crayfish can be stored in the refrigerator for only a few hours;
follow the rules for culinary processing of crayfish: cook while still alive for at least 10 minutes, the color of the finished product should be red, the tail should be pressed to the belly, and the shell should be easily separated from the pulp;
When ordering crayfish in a restaurant, pay attention to the fact that their tails are pressed to the body. This sign will indicate that the cancer was alive immediately before cooking;
Do not offer crustacean meat to children, because allergic reactions to this product are common among them, as well as people with thyroid diseases due to the high risk of exacerbations;
Do not try large quantities of crayfish if you are allergic to seafood, because... There is a high probability of cross-allergy to this product.

How to deliciously cook crayfish in milk?

Garlic has chelating properties, which is the ability to bind toxins, including, for example, the potentially carcinogenic cadmium from cigarette smoke, and remove them from the body. It also activates white blood cells, which engulf and destroy cancer cells. One of the most common types of cancer is stomach cancer, but regular consumption of garlic and onions reduces the likelihood of this disease. Garlic also serves as a source of sulfur, which is necessary for the liver to perform its detoxifying function.

Onions act in a similar way, although to a lesser extent. Both garlic and onions contain allicin, a sulfur-containing substance that has a powerful detoxifying effect. Considering that the liver is a universal organ that cleanses our body of any carcinogens and pathogens, the importance of onions and garlic cannot be overestimated.

Crayfish cooked with garlic

If you have tried almost all the classic recipes for cooking crayfish and you want something new, then try boiling these tasty arthropods with the addition of a lot of garlic. It will give the crayfish meat a slight spice and make it very aromatic.

Preparation:

Place the crayfish in a basin of clean water and wait until they spontaneously get rid of silt and soil
Boil 4 liters of purified water, add 4 tbsp. l salt, black pepper, fresh dill and 20 cloves of garlic
Make a concentrated broth from these ingredients and let it brew
Then bring it back to a boil and drop the live crayfish into it.
When the liquid begins to bubble intensely, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
Place the finished crayfish on a plate with ice and garnish with olives and olives.

Crayfish soaked in milk

This recipe will appeal to gourmets who love unexpected experiments. Try soaking the crayfish in milk first, and then boil them in the standard way.

The fat present in the milk will make the meat of these river inhabitants so tender that it can be eaten with the lips.

Recipe:

Prepare 2.5 kg of crayfish and fill them with 3 liters of full-fat milk (you can use farm milk)
Let them sit in the milky liquid for 2-3 hours
Then pour the milk into the sink and rinse them under cold running water
Place clean crayfish in a broth of water, dill, parsley, carrots, salt and pepper
Boil them for 20 minutes and then cool them quickly and serve.

Why do people get poisoned?

It doesn't happen often, but it does happen. So, let's look at the factors that put our health at risk when eating crustacean meat.

After catching, animals should not be placed in aluminum or galvanized containers. During the interaction of zinc or aluminum with crayfish, the latter become infected with metal ions, which then negatively affects the health of the person who has eaten such crayfish.

From zinc and aluminum poisoning, organs such as the heart, kidneys and liver are primarily affected. So, when planning to catch crayfish, it is better to prepare plastic, plastic or glass containers for storing them.

During the period between catching and cooking, the animals must remain in the water. Otherwise they will die. And already in the first hours after death, their meat begins to decompose and, accordingly, becomes unsuitable for consumption, and, more precisely, dangerous to health.

Remember: dead crustaceans should never be cooked. And cooked arthropods must be eaten within two to three hours, otherwise they again begin to deteriorate, and there is a risk of poisoning from such meat.

Also, do not forget that a person may be allergic to crayfish. Reactions to arthropod meat can range from minor skin rashes to anaphylactic shock, which can lead to suffocation and death. Most often, intolerance to crustacean meat occurs in young children.

A disease such as paragonimiasis can be a consequence of eating a river delicacy. Paragonimiasis is an infection transmitted by crustaceans. This infection primarily affects the lungs, and also the human brain and liver.

If you have problems with the thyroid gland, delicacy in the form of arthropod meat is contraindicated for you, because it significantly negatively affects the functioning of this organ. So after eating crayfish, the disease may worsen.

Is it possible to cook frozen crayfish and how to cook it correctly?

Rules for cooking frozen crayfish

It is quite acceptable to eat frozen crayfish in a trailer; the only thing you should be prepared for is that such a product will not have such a pleasant taste and aroma as fresh ones.

Very low temperatures make crayfish meat less juicy and more dense. Therefore, if such shortcomings do not bother you, then you can safely buy frozen crayfish.

Rules for cooking frozen crayfish:

Remove them from the freezer and place them on the lowest shelf of the refrigerator.
Wait until they are completely thawed and then inspect them carefully.
Properly frozen individuals will have their tails pressed against their abdomen.
Place a pan of water on the stove, add salt and spices to taste and bring everything to a boil
Place thawed crayfish in boiling broth and cook for 20-30 minutes

Crayfish for beer

Any man knows that a beer snack should be slightly salty. Therefore, when preparing crayfish as a snack for this foamy drink, be sure to take this little nuance into account and cook them in the most salty brine possible.

Take 2 kg of crayfish, rinse under running water and place in a large container
Boil 4 liters of water and add 7 tbsp. l salt, 2 tbsp. l dry dill, red and black peppercorns and 50 g butter
Boil the liquid for 2-3 minutes and add crayfish to it
Boil them for 20 minutes and then remove from the stove

Do not remove the crayfish from the broth immediately; let them remain in the liquid for at least half an hour. During this time, their meat will be maximally saturated with salt and spices and will become an ideal snack for beer.

Crayfish boiled in beer

If you like the slightly bitter taste of beer, then you can safely use it as a crawfish boil liquid. But if you want to get a truly tasty snack, then use light beers for preparation.

Unlike black ones, they have a smaller hop aroma, which becomes very concentrated when heated.

Boil 3 liters of water and add 4 tbsp. l salt
Then add a mixture of peppers, dried and fresh dill, a couple of bay leaves and 1 liter of light beer to the bubbling liquid
Allow the liquid to boil for a couple of minutes and then drop clean live crayfish into it.
Boil them until cooked for about 20 minutes, and then turn off the stove
To ensure that the crayfish are saturated with the aroma of beer as well as possible, leave them in the broth for 5-7 hours
After this time, remove them from the liquid, place them on a large dish and garnish with dill sprigs and lemon slices

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wl20Yr3a4dw

Here are some recipes:

Salt the water in the pan at the rate of 1 tbsp. l. per liter of liquid. Add the pepper mixture, bay leaf, dill and half a medium onion. Boil, throw in the crayfish, and after 10-15 minutes turn off the stove and leave the arthropods for another 20 minutes under the lid. Then remove and serve;
Pour light beer into the pan, adding salt at the rate of 1 tbsp. l. for 1 liter of foamy drink. When it boils, throw in the crayfish. Cook for about 5-10 minutes and also let it brew for 20 minutes. Then remove and place on a plate, garnishing with herbs and lemon slices;
Boil the arthropods in salted water for 10 minutes, and then pour in the cucumber brine at the rate of 1 cup per 2 liters of liquid. Cook in this solution for another 5 minutes. Then immediately remove and serve.

That's all the tips and recommendations. Do not store cooked crayfish for a long time: they must be eaten within 12 hours. Bon appetit!

How to cook crayfish correctly and tasty? 7 recipes: with dill, in beer, wine, milk

Many people call crayfish the food of the Gods. They are prepared at home and served in the best restaurants in the world. But, despite the fact that this treat is familiar to many of us since childhood, not everyone knows how to cook crayfish at home. Five of the best recipes for preparing a gourmet dish just for you! Study the information and hurry to try it out in practice.

Why are crayfish boiled alive and why can’t dead crayfish be boiled?

People often ask this question: why is crayfish boiled alive and why can’t dead crayfish be boiled? These arthropods feed on carrion, and therefore their meat quickly goes rotten.

Storing crayfish before cooking

After purchasing the crayfish, you need to deliver them home alive. To do this, use plastic bags with water or a wet bag for transportation.

Important! Crayfish should only be boiled alive. If only one dead animal gets into the cooking container, you will have to throw them all out to avoid poisoning.

Before cooking, you can preserve animals in several ways:

in a vessel with a large volume of clean water
in a cold room with a high level of moisture (basement, cellar)
in a refrigerator.

Is it possible to boil dead crayfish caught yesterday?

Reservoirs are not always located close to home, and therefore fishermen often have to leave for a day or two to bring back a lot of catch. Fishermen may have a question: is it possible to boil dead crayfish caught yesterday?

Tip: Boil the crayfish immediately after catching. If this is not possible, then put them in a cold place, and then cook as usual.

The prey will be perfectly preserved if it is covered with ice. You can bring frozen water cubes with you when you go fishing in a special thermal container.

Remember: You cannot cook dead crayfish that have died naturally. You only need to catch arthropods alive!

You should know: There is one way to check whether crayfish were cooked alive or already dead: if they have a tucked tail when cooked, then the crayfish was cooked fresh.

This is due to the fact that when a live crayfish is thrown into boiling water, it curls its tail into a ball. This method is used to determine the freshness of the preparation of these arthropods in cafes and restaurants.

Features of choosing live crayfish

In a large fish store you can find an aquarium with live arthropods. In order not to make a mistake with your choice, you need to know the features of the appearance of healthy crayfish.

The color of living individuals is green with a blue tint or brown, always even throughout the entire carapace.
The tail of a healthy and viable crayfish is pressed tightly against the abdomen. An unpressed crayfish neck is a sign of a sick animal.
There should be no damage or foreign growths on the shell and claws.
Cancers should actively move, move their whiskers and limbs.

Some sellers convince that the arthropod simply fell asleep and the “sleep” will not affect the quality. This is wrong. Inactivity indicates imminent death, and poison accumulates in the meat of a dead creature, which causes severe poisoning. Therefore, crayfish are considered a perishable product.

How to boil crayfish in water, how much salt?

The easiest way to cook crayfish is to boil them in water with salt. As mentioned above, this cooking method is suitable for people who are doing it for the first time.

How to boil crayfish in water, how much salt? Follow these steps:

Rinse the crayfish
Fill the pan with water so that it slightly covers the crayfish while cooking.
Place the pan on the fire
When the water boils, pour salt into it at the rate of 1 tablespoon per 1 liter of water.
Place crayfish in boiling water
When the crayfish shell is red, turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid.
In this form, the crayfish should sit for 10 - 15 minutes.
After this, they can be placed on a serving plate and served.

How to cook crayfish over a fire?

Crayfish cooked in foil over a fire

Crayfish cooked over a fire have a special taste and aroma. Live fire and the smell of wood make their meat even more piquant and aromatic.

If you decide to cook crayfish using the method given below, then be sure to rinse them as thoroughly as possible in clean water, because since they will be cooked practically in their own juice, then not a single grain of sand should remain in their shell.

Place fresh, just caught crayfish in a container of clean water and let them swim in it for 15 minutes.
Then rinse them thoroughly again with clean water and let dry a little.
Saddle square pieces out of foil and place dill, bay leaf and black peppercorns on them
Next, place crayfish on these blanks, salt them well and seal them tightly
Transfer everything to the coals and wait 15-20 minutes
After this, transfer them to a plate and let them cool slightly (there is no need to remove the foil at this stage)
After about 15 minutes, remove the foil and serve

How to protect yourself from poisoning

As always, prevention will come to the rescue, allowing you to avoid troubles and not get poisoned by your favorite dish:

Before cooking crayfish, they need to be washed and dried,
you need to cook only live crayfish, and for at least 10 minutes (properly cooked carcasses should be red in color, and the meat should be easily separated from the shell),
do not cook arthropods that died during storage, since the decomposition process begins within a few hours after their death,
do not store crayfish in aluminum containers (use glass or plastic containers),
live crayfish should be kept in clean water (it needs to be changed every day) and fed with sausage so that they do not die,
Live crayfish should be stored for no longer than 3 days in a dark, cool place (cellar, pantry),
after cooking, keep the carcasses in the water in which they were boiled for no longer than 12 hours,
crayfish can be frozen and cooked after that, immediately thrown into boiling water without first defrosting,
it is preferable to catch arthropods yourself rather than buy from unknown people (they have nothing to prove that the crayfish are of high quality and were caught in a clean reservoir),
do not take risks if you are prone to allergies,
It is better to catch crayfish in the spring, choosing larger and more mobile individuals (they have more meat, it is tastier and more tender).

One cannot help but rejoice in the fact that poisoning from the meat of these freshwater inhabitants is a rather rare phenomenon. But compliance with preventive measures has never failed anyone, so even if the threat of health hazard is small, reinsurance certainly won’t hurt. Then the pleasure received from your favorite food will not be overshadowed by thoughts about the possible risk of poisoning.

How to cook crayfish with lemon?

Crayfish cooked with lemon

Freshly squeezed lemon juice will help reduce the taste and smell of river mud and give the crayfish meat a light citrus aroma.

Preparation:

Clean the crayfish from river silt and debris
Boil 4 liters of water, add 4 tbsp. l salt, lemon zest and spices to taste
Add crayfish (about 3.5 kg) to the boiling broth and boil them for 10 minutes
When the arthropods begin to change color, turn off the heat, cover the pan with a lid and let the dish sit for another 15 minutes
After this, remove the crayfish from the broth, place them on a dish and sprinkle with lemon juice

Healthy Seasonings

The benefit of crayfish lies, first of all, in the presence of valuable, easily digestible protein. The meat of these aquatic inhabitants contains practically no fats and carbohydrates, so athletes and people struggling with excess weight can safely include them in their diet.

Crustaceans, just like fish and seafood, are incredibly healthy. They contain vitamins D, E, K and group B, as well as minerals - magnesium, phosphorus, cobalt, iron, sulfur, potassium and others, which determine the properties of this arthropod to stimulate metabolic processes and improve the functioning of the pancreas, stomach, liver, kidneys and hearts with vessels.

The benefit of boiled crayfish lies in their ability to remove heavy metals and radionuclides from the body, so they are advised to be actively included in the diet of those whose health has been affected in the zone of radioactive contamination.

Arthropods are an excellent prevention of thyroid diseases, and they also have a general strengthening effect on the body, and therefore are recommended for people after operations and serious illnesses.

It is believed that they can help improve the health of women suffering from breast cancer. There is even a recipe for preparing an alcohol tincture using the shell of this arthropod, which helps restore damaged breast tissue. This drug is also used to combat bad habits.

Proteins, g	Fats, g	Carbohydrates, g	Calorie content, kcal
Boiled crayfish, 100 g	20,3	1,3	1	97

It has long been known that eating crayfish not only brings pleasure, this product also has a positive effect on the human body. Since ancient times, crayfish have been a must-have product during special occasions. If we consider the beneficial properties of crayfish, then first of all we need to say that they have a beneficial effect on metabolism. We can safely say that as a result of consuming this product, the body’s tone increases and general protective properties are activated.

Increasingly, modern doctors recommend consuming crayfish during various diseases. This product should become a must in the diet of those people who suffer from heart failure, patients with kidney disease, and diseases associated with the pancreas. The benefit of crayfish is that their meat activates the liver, thereby cleansing it.

This product also has a beneficial effect on cleansing the bile ducts. If you systematically consume boiled crayfish meat, the digestion process returns to normal and thereby restores the stomach. If you are interested in the calorie content of this product, then 100 grams of crayfish contains 97 calories.

For many women and men, crayfish are recommended to be consumed for preventive purposes. The substances contained in this product prevent the development of diseases such as goiter. The thing is that the meat of this seafood product contains a huge amount of iodine, which also prevents diseases associated with the thyroid gland.

Boiled crayfish contain quite a lot of saturated fats and carbohydrates, which have a positive effect on the body.

Also, crayfish meat does not contain carcinogens. Quite the contrary, crayfish contain microelements that minimize the likelihood of cancerous tumors.

Crayfish meat is considered dietary. The thing is that it contains virtually no fat, but on the contrary, it contains a lot of easily digestible protein. Modern nutritionists recommend that almost all of their patients eat as many crayfish as possible as a mandatory ingredient in their diet. The chitinous coating of cancer contains a substance called chitosan, which is used to produce various weight loss products.

This substance attracts lipids, binds them, thereby preventing the absorption of excess fats. This substance also provokes the release of excess fat. Simply put, chitosan disrupts the process of fat accumulation. It should be said that the chitin shell contains a huge amount of active substances that have an antiseptic effect.

Is there a possibility of crayfish poisoning?

Crayfish are arthropods that live in fresh water bodies. Before cooking, the color of the chitinous shell is gray, and during heat treatment it turns red. The edible part of crayfish is the abdomen, called the neck, and the front claws. Meat is rich in vitamins A, D, and E, and dishes prepared from it are classified as dietary . Is it possible to get poisoned from eating crayfish? It is possible, but not always. Therefore, you need to pay attention to factors that increase the likelihood of intoxication:

After catching, arthropods must be placed in plastic, glass or plastic containers. If they are kept in an aluminum or galvanized bucket, they will become contaminated with metal ions, which have a negative effect on the human body. As a result of aluminum or zinc poisoning, the functions of the liver, kidneys and heart are impaired.
Before cooking the crayfish, it is advisable to keep them in water so that they do not die. If dead crayfish were kept in a warm room, they can no longer be cooked, because they could have spoiled. After cooking, the crayfish should be eaten within 2-3 hours.
Allergy. Some people experience individual intolerance when cancer is an allergen, leading to anaphylactic shock. Allergies occur especially often in children.
Crayfish can be carriers of an infection harmful to human health - paragonimiasis..
In addition, their use can worsen the functioning of the thyroid gland. If you already have problems with the gland, cancer is contraindicated. After all, the disease can worsen.

The prepared crayfish dish should be stored in a glass container. Under no circumstances should you leave them in an aluminum pan, as under such conditions the meat will oxidize and spoil.

How to cook crayfish with caviar?

Crayfish with caviar

Although some people argue that crayfish caviar does not have any special taste, if it is prepared correctly, it will even be worthy of a holiday table.

The best part is that if you cook crayfish with caviar, you will get not one, but two delicious dishes at once. After cooking, you will take out the caviar, season it with lemon juice and pepper and serve it as a separate appetizer with beer or any other alcoholic drinks.

Cooking crayfish and caviar:

Prepare broth from water, salt, pepper, bay leaf and dry dill.
Bring it to a boil and add the peeled and washed crayfish.
As soon as they turn red, immediately remove them and place them on a chilled plate.
If you plan to serve them with caviar, then immediately bring the appetizer to your guests
If you want to serve caviar as a separate dish, then first remove it using a small spoon into a separate bowl
Then clean it of films and bring it to taste with spices
Serve crayfish and caviar slightly chilled

First aid for crayfish poisoning

First aid for any food poisoning, including crayfish poisoning, should begin to be provided immediately as soon as the first clinical symptoms appear.

To alleviate the patient’s condition, speed up recovery and prevent the risk of complications, the following must be done:

Rinse the stomach. To do this, the patient must drink several glasses of water, and then induce artificial vomiting by irritating the root of the tongue. This procedure should be repeated several times until there are no food residues in the rinsing waters. It is impossible to rinse the stomach at home for small children or patients who are in an unconscious or semi-conscious state, since the rinsing water can enter the respiratory tract.
Take absorbent. Medicines with an absorbent effect include Smecta, Activated carbon, Neosmectin, Filtrum STI. These medications are able to absorb and remove toxic substances contained in the lumen of the digestive tract from the body.
Perform oral rehydration. This event is aimed at reducing general intoxication and preventing water-salt balance disorders. The patient should drink a solution of Regidron, Gastrolit, Citroglucosan often and in small portions of one or two sips. If these drugs are not available in your home medicine cabinet, oral rehydration can be carried out using still mineral water, drinking water, or weak tea without sugar.

How long should you cook small and large crayfish?

Optimal time for boiling crayfish

Crayfish come in different sizes and depending on this, their cooking time increases. Ideally, of course, it is best to cook individuals of the same size. This way you can be sure that the appetizer is prepared perfectly and there will be no undercooked or overcooked arthropod on your table.

But if it turns out that there are mollusks of different sizes on your kuna, then just add their broth starting with the largest ones.

Cooking time:

Small ones - 10-15 minutes
Average - 15-25 minutes
Large - 30-40 minutes