08-06-2012, 11:05 PM
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]While up at Strawberry last week, I collected about 160 tails to take home. I met several different groups collecting some also and the topic of shelling them came up more than once. I mentioned that I use a shrimp peeler/deveiner tool to great effect and I got a lot of blank stares. So I thought I’d offer up some information on what I was talking about.[/size][/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]First off, let’s assume you have gotten a bucket full of crayfish, have separated the tails, removed the mud vein, and have boiled the tails for consumption or for use in some Cajun delicacies such as jambalaya. But first, you want to separate the meat from the shell. It can be done by hand but I find this to be too tedious and time consuming. Enter the shrimp peeler/deveiner. Here is a picture of what I’m talking about.[/size][/#800000][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]![[Image: shrimppeeler.jpg]](http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee187/utdubob/shrimppeeler.jpg)
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]To use this tool, just hold it in one hand while holding the crayfish tail in your other hand. Insert the skinny, curved tip at the tail end through the channel left by removing the mud vein. Insert it far enough such that it comes out the head end of the tail keeping it tight against the shell. Continue inserting until the shell top separates from the shell bottom enough to easily remove the meat. It takes about 5 seconds or less to do one tail using this tool.[/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]Every grocery store worth anything in the south carries this tool, but in Utah you’re going to have to order it on-line. You can find them on eBay for around 4 bucks. Trust me on this one - if you go after crayfish more than once a year, you’re going to want to get one of these tools.[/size][/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]My bride is stewing up a batch of jambalaya with the 160 tails I just finished shelling today. And no – I’m not willing to share this batch with anybody but my bride.[/size][/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]While up at Strawberry last week, I collected about 160 tails to take home. I met several different groups collecting some also and the topic of shelling them came up more than once. I mentioned that I use a shrimp peeler/deveiner tool to great effect and I got a lot of blank stares. So I thought I’d offer up some information on what I was talking about.[/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3][/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]First off, let’s assume you have gotten a bucket full of crayfish, have separated the tails, removed the mud vein, and have boiled the tails for consumption or for use in some Cajun delicacies such as jambalaya. But first, you want to separate the meat from the shell. It can be done by hand but I find this to be too tedious and time consuming. Enter the shrimp peeler/deveiner. Here is a picture of what I’m talking about.[/size][/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]To use this tool, just hold it in one hand while holding the crayfish tail in your other hand. Insert the skinny, curved tip at the tail end through the channel left by removing the mud vein. Insert it far enough such that it comes out the head end of the tail keeping it tight against the shell. Continue inserting until the shell top separates from the shell bottom enough to easily remove the meat. It takes about 5 seconds or less to do one tail using this tool.[/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]Every grocery store worth anything in the south carries this tool, but in Utah you’re going to have to order it on-line. You can find them on eBay for around 4 bucks. Trust me on this one - if you go after crayfish more than once a year, you’re going to want to get one of these tools.[/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3][/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]My bride is stewing up a batch of jambalaya with the 160 tails I just finished shelling today. And no – I’m not willing to share this batch with anybody but my bride.[/size][/#800000][/font]
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