Can You Freeze Crab Cakes?
You can freeze crab cakes. Freeze them in a sealable plastic bag and transfer them to a freezer container. The crab cakes will keep up to three months in your freezer.
Foods like crab cakes are something people love or hate, but I think they’re pretty good. They’re not as heavy as most other seafood dishes, which is why they’re so popular with the kids. By making them yourself, you’ll know exactly what’s going into them.
What are Crab Cakes?
Crab cakes are made with crab meat, usually lump crab meat, breaded and fried. While not considered a traditional seafood dish, crab cakes are popular among vegetarians and vegans who miss the flavor of seafood.
Does freezing crab ruin it?
No! Freezing makes crab cakes even better. Freezing gives the crust a nice crunchy texture. It also helps maintain the moisture content inside the crab cake.
Crab is naturally sweet but also extremely high in fat. This makes it a high-calorie food, and it’s often associated with weight gain. However, freezing doesn’t alter the flavor or texture of the crab. The fat in the crab helps to keep it fresh.
Frozen seafood can tend to deteriorate quickly when exposed to oxygen. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s important to remember that the longer frozen seafood sits in the freezer, the greater the chances of it turning bad.
How To Freeze Crab Cakes?
As summer comes to a close, so does the season for crab cakes. If you’re lucky enough to live in an area that offers fresh crab for a reasonable price, the best thing to do is eat it while it’s still hot. But if you’re not so fortunate, you may have to settle for frozen cakes. Frozen cakes are equally delicious and easy to make.
Here’s how you can freeze crab cakes.
Frozen crab cakes are a popular appetizer in the South, but they’re not exactly easy to make. The secret to making cooked crab cakes at home is to use the right mix of ingredients.
Read on to find out how to freeze cooked crab cakes without a mess.
Process:
- Make sure your cakes are thoroughly frozen. The easiest way to test whether your cakes are frozen is to drop one into a glass of ice water. If it sinks, they’re ready to thaw and enjoy.
- Peel the paper wrapping and place the cakes on a foiled baking tray lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- The cakes should be covered with plastic wrap and frozen for about an hour.
- Remove the plastic wrap and the paper and put the cakes in a resealable freezer safe bag. They’ll keep for up to two months if you don’t eat them all in the first couple of days.
Crab cakes aren’t the only type of seafood that freezes well. Fish fillets, shrimp, lobster tails, scallops, calamari, oysters, clams, mussels, and more can be frozen safely. So there’s no reason you can’t enjoy these delicacies year-round.
How To Thaw Frozen Crab Cakes?
If you have frozen crab cakes, you need to thaw them before enjoying them.
The first step is to figure out how to thaw them.
There are several ways to do this, but you can’t thaw them by popping them into a microwave. This will cause them to explode.
Process:
- If the cakes are in a bag, place the bag in a bowl filled with cold water. This will speed up the process.
- If the cakes are in a container, fill them with hot water. You’ll find several different brands of containers for frozen foods, but be careful to avoid those that are plastic. They may melt.
- If the cakes are on a plate, place the plate in a bowl filled with cold water. Again, you’ll notice that this method is faster than popping them into a microwave.
- If the cakes are in a freezer, remove them. Place them on a towel and cover them with another towel. Leave them alone until the towels start to feel warm. Then take them out and let them sit in a bowl of cool water.
The time it takes to thaw cakes varies depending on their size and shape. It usually takes between three and eight hours. Once they’ve been thawed, you can serve them immediately or store them in the refrigerator for later use.
Delicious Crab Cake Recipe:
You can freeze crab cakes and then thaw them when you want to enjoy them. However, there’s nothing like eating them fresh from the oven. Here’s a delicious recipe for crab cake sandwiches.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 pound lump crabmeat (about 3 cups)
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 6 slices white sandwich bread
Cooking Process:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare the crabmeat by placing it in a large mixing bowl. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, egg yolk, Worcestershire sauce, bread crumbs, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto the pan and flatten each one slightly—Cook for 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
- Arrange the crab cakes on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Repeat the procedure with the remaining butter and crab mixture.
- In the preheated oven, place the crab cakes and bake for 10 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the cakes inside overnight.
- The next day, turn the oven back on and bake for 5 additional minutes.
Serve as desired.
Last Words
Freezing crab cakes isn’t difficult. Simply follow these steps to get good results. Don’t forget to label the bags and containers carefully. And remember that freezing doesn’t always mean that something has spoiled. Some things taste better after being frozen.
