ABOUT JONAH CRAB

For decades Jonah crab was one of New England's best kept secrets. It started as a bycatch— an accidental catch—of the lobster industry but as its popularity grew, fishermen began fishing for it not as a bycatch but as the catch. Harvested in the cold waters of the Gulf of Maine, Jonah crab has no shortage of culinary applications like crab cakes, rolls, chowder, or dip. Our Jonah crab is sold by the pound as meat and in our crab roll kits.

Enjoy flash-frozen, Jonah crab shipped anywhere in the US!

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Recipes

Jonah crab meat is incredibly diverse in it's culinary applications. The meat itself is sweet and tender and is perfect for crab cakes or chowder and the claws are perfect just as they are, served over ice as an appetizer. Check out some of our recipes here:

Luke's Jonah Crab Roll

Cheesy Crab and Artichoke Dip

Chili Jonah Crab Pasta with Mint

Jonah Crab Cake Sandwiches

View All Crab Recipes

box filled with many luke's lobster products

STORAGE AND SHELF LIFE

When you receive your frozen Jonah crab, store in the freezer. When you are ready to eat it, thaw under refrigeration until fully thawed (approximately 16 to 24 hours) before preparing. For best quality, consume within 6 days, once thawed.

All of our flash-frozen products will arrive frozen, shipped in our 100% recyclable shipping boxes, via UPS. For more information on shipping, visit our FAQ here.

a crab fisherman dumping cabs into a box

SUSTAINABILITY

As demand grew for Jonah crab a management plan was developed to promote conservation and allow for sustainable fishing of the species. Those measures include:

Fishermen must throw back all egg-bearing females, ensuring that fertile crabs are kept in the population.
Jonah crab may only be caught by fishermen who already hold lobster licenses or were already fishing for Jonah prior to 2015; no new licensees may start fishing.
No more than 200 crabs per day or 500 crabs per multi-day trip can be caught incidentally through other fishing methods.

A man wearing a hat and sunglasses reaching into a box full of crabs

ABOUT THE JONAH CRAB FISHERY

Jonah crab has long been considered a bycatch of the lobster industry but as its popularity grown, fishermen now target Jonah crab as their primary catch. While this type of shift can lead to overfishing, a unique collaboration of fishermen, buyers, business leaders, and the Gulf of Maine Research Institute got together on a fishery improvement project to create a management plan to ensure the fishery remained sustainable, adding minimum catch size (4.75 inches carapace width), prohibition on catching egg bearing females and a host of other regulations. These regulations were first implemented in state waters, and are now implemented in federal waters as well. Our own Ben McKinney and Bryan Holden played a role in ensuring the fishery would stay protected. As a regulated and managed fishery, Jonah crab is now a legitimate economic driver for New England coastal economies.

Jonah crab can be harvested year-round in Maine. Many fishermen trap Jonah crab to supplement their income from lobster and other fisheries

INGREDIENTS AND NUTRITION

Jonah Crab Meat Ingredients: Jonah Crab, Water, Salt

Sold by the 1lb pack

Maine crabmeat is low in fat, high in zinc, and a good source of omega-3 fatty acids.

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