Can you freeze phillips crab meat

How long does pasteurized crab meat last in the freezer? Properly stored, it will maintain best quality for 3 months, but will remain safe beyond that time. How long does pasteurized crab meat last after being frozen and thawed?

Pasteurized crab meat that has been thawed in the fridge can be kept for an additional 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator before cooking; crab meat that was thawed in the microwave or in cold water should be eaten immediately. How to tell if pasteurized crab meat is bad? Please remember that without proper temperature storage, the product will not be able to reach its intended shelf life-this is true with all pasteurized products.

Keep crab meat in the coldest part of your refrigerator, on the lowest shelf at the back or in the meat or produce bins. Do not store on your pantry shelf; Phillips Crab Meat must be kept refrigerated at all times, opened or unopened.

During pasteurization, these shelf-stable products are subjected to a much higher temperature for a much longer time technically, degrees F for 4 hours , which kills all the harmful bacteria as well as friendly bacteria. While this high level of heat allows the product to remain safely on the shelf for an extended period of time, it also compromises the taste and texture of the product.

Crab meat is a very delicate protein, subjecting it to this level of pasteurization destroys the subtle flavors and aromas and ruins the delicate texture of the meat.

While there is sterile, shelf-stable crab meat available on the market today, it is unfortunately a low-quality product. Phillips Crab Meat has a refrigerated shelf life of 18 months from the date of production with proper handling and temperature control.

Please remember that without proper temperature storage, the product will not be able to reach its intended shelf life. Once opened, please consume within 48 hours to ensure a safe, high quality product. Crab meat should be handled with the same care given fresh seafood; please keep under constant refrigeration 38 degrees F or below and be careful about what you eat.

If you only are able to consume a portion at a time, we recommend that you put the remainder into a prepared recipe such as crab cakes or crab soup before freezing. Add mouthwatering zest to every meal - from steamed shrimp to deviled eggs, we'll help you spice things up! Subscribe to the Phillips Seafood E-Club. Be the first to receive details on recipes, cooking tips and our newest grocery product info.

It makes cooking crab a lot easier because canned crab meat has usually already been prepared, cleaned, and cooked by someone else, so all you need to do is take it out of the can and begin using it in your recipe. There are many different brands and varieties of cooked crab meat on the market, so you should stick to companies that use relatively few chemicals in the process of pasteurizing or preserving the crab and ones that promise fresh meat and a fast turnaround time between canning and storage on the shelf.

Canned crab meat is a good way to extend the delicate and temporary shelf life of crab meat. Fresh crab usually only lasts two or three days before it goes bad, making crab an extremely time sensitive dish. Canned crab meat, on the other hand, can last anywhere from three to five years provided that the original canned crab meat was sold refrigerated, never opened, and remained safely sealed and stored in a dry place.

You should always make sure your crab meat is safe to eat and cook with before you use it and that it has not gone bad while it was in storage. The best way to tell if canned crab meat has gone bad is to look at it and smell it.

If your crab has developed an unnatural gray or yellow color, smells strongly of sour or vinegar acid, or otherwise develops an off flavor or smell, it is not safe to use. Most canned crab meat should come already prepackaged and vacuum sealed in an aluminum or airtight can or container. The best way to store it is to keep it in its original packaging for as long as possible. If your crab meat came in a can that needed refrigeration, you should put inside your refrigerator ASAP.

If your crab meat comes in a room-temperature can, you should place it on a pantry shelf in a dry and dark area for best results.