DO NOT cook dead crabs. Cooked or pasteurized crabmeat should be kept refrigerated in the coldest part of the refrigerator, below 35 degrees F, or on ice in the refrigerator. At this temperature fresh crabmeat can be expected to have a shelf life of 10 days. If refrigerated at a high temperature it should be used within 2-3 days. F. Freezing is not a preferred method for storing crabmeat.
Frozen meat is available in some stores, but is generally slightly lower in quality than fresh meat.
It is best used in casseroles, soups, stews and recipes with added liquid. Fresh caught crabs can be frozen uncooked, using the following method. Remove the claws and the inner pod of cartilage containing the body meat and discard the rest of the crab. Freeze the uncracked claws and the unpicked pod of meat whole in a block of ice. Use within 2 months.