A large double boiler is ideal for cooking blue crabs because it allows crabs to be steamed and not boiled. When using a double boiler, wait until the water boils in the lower pot, then place the crabs in the upper pot. If cooking with a single large pot, crabs may be stacked to the top and a few inches of water added to the bottom. Or, the crabs may be completely covered with water. In either case, seasonings may be sprinkled on the crabs or into the water.
Some cooks prefer to mix seasonings with cool water in another pot.
After cooking, the crabs are moved to the cool, seasoned water and allowed to soak up the seasonings. This prevents over cooking and allows the crabs to become spicier. Cooking generally takes 20 to 30 minutes producing a well-cooked crab with an orange color and meat that has a firm white texture. Another common practice is to clean live crabs prior to cooking by removing the top shell, abdomen, gills and internal organs. Crabs can be chilled to reduce the handling danger, but with experience, a crabber can learn to hold the claws with one hand while removing the back with the other.