Steamed Female Small, (5"-5.5") Dozen

How can we keep the Chesapeake Bay Cuisine Super Fresh? It all starts with the water conditions in the bay and the 64,000 square mile watershed feeding into the largest estuary in the United States. Seafood naturally tastes fresher when the blue crabs, oysters, clams, and other bay favorites grow in healthy conditions. Balanced nutrients in the water support a food web, allowing positive growth for the harvested seafood. In the last decade, conservationists have won some major battles fighting against harmful influences on the bay’s ecosystem. Algal blooms, a large culprit to dead zones in the water and agricultural runoff with harmful sediment, among other negative effects have lessened greatly.  Sound like an important endeavor? Well, when it comes to a super fresh catch, it is! In order to deliver a promise of a healthy blue crab dozen that boasts a salty sweetness with a buttery hint, the crabber wants ideal waterways with no pollutants or sediment from the huge watershed. Much charting and mapping of the bay for clean channels for the ideal catch is a daily task for the crabber. Likewise, conservationists strive to reach this perfect condition so a wild caught crab, no matter where in the bay, represents the best blue crab catch. One way to reach this goal, they planted riparian forests or tree lines along the shores, tributaries, and inlets. These naturally serve as an active defense against pollutants rushing into the bay from rain. Plus, it keeps the bank intact, avoiding a major sediment runoff during a storm.  Farmers have joined the fight with cover crops to keep harmful animal waste, fertilizers, etc. from entering the bay. The battle continues and Blue Crab Lovers strive to teach the Chesapeake Bay’s neighbors the need to join in the cause. Much of a catch relies on fishing luck and a “smile from Mother Nature,” but the progress is noticeable.  Oysters, for one, have increased their reef size to 2,300 acres. Blue Crabs have continued to struggle lately with overly cold winters, but the fight continues to make the catch easier with a well-stocked bay. So, if you serve up a dozen Supers, 7” +, X-Large, 6.5”-7”, Large, 6”-6.5”, Medium, 5.5”-6”, Small, 5”-5.5”, know you’re getting a true delicacy, worth an invite to your friends for a Chesapeake Bay Crab Feast!