CRAWFISH 101
Crawdads, Crawfish, Crayfish, Mud Bugs… whatever you call them, they are delicious, and we’ve got you covered!
WHERE DO OUR CRAWFISH COME FROM?
When you purchase live crawfish from The Bayou Bandit, you are receiving a treasured bounty from the flooded rice fields of some of LOUISIANA’S LONGEST STANDING AND MOST RESPECTED FARMERS. In most cases, these crawfish are caught, washed, graded and bagged on Wednesday before being loaded on our truck Thursday morning. During transit, special care is taken to ensure the crawfish are kept cool and moist. The cool temperature keeps them dormant and reduces mortality.
WHEN IS CRAWFISH SEASON?
Depending on the weather, crawfish season can begin as early as November in the South. However, early season crawfish are usually small and tender, which makes it difficult to transport them without significant loss, so we give them time to grow and get strong. When planning your crawfish boils, please plan on our season running from late January to late June. In some cases, we are lucky enough to make the 4th of July, but high heat can sometimes cut the season short.
HOW MUCH DO THEY COST?
Crawfish are sold at market price, normally established on Mondays during the season. Fishermen, docks, wholesalers and retailers are all at the mercy of the market value. If you place a pre-order and make a deposit for live crawfish in advance, your deposit will be applied to the total cost of the crawfish at market value for the week that you pick-up. Expect the cost to be $3-$5 per pound, depending on the time of season, with the best prices following the celebration of Easter and Holy week.
WHAT DO THE DIFFERENT SACK COLORS MEAN?
In our corner of the crawfish world, the following usually applies:
Purple/ Green sacks are used for “Field Run”, which means that you receive the crawfish as the fishermen bagged them in the rice field. These have not been washed or graded and they will vary in size from a Medium/ Large to Jumbo. These sacks will vary from 28-40 pounds in the early season when the crawfish are still maturing. Mid to late season will see these sacks averaging 32 pounds as a good rule of thumb.
Yellow sacks are reserved for crawfish that have been washed, graded and determined to be of “Select” (Jumbo) size. “Selects” are rarely available before Easter/ mid-April and are available as long as the weather remains moderate and supply is strong. Selects are typically sold in 30 pound sacks.
Red sacks are used for crawfish that have been washed and graded, but don’t quite make the cut to “Select” status. Like Selects, these are typically sold in 30 pound sacks and are a great choice when available because they have already been washed.
CARING FOR YOUR CRAWFISH AFTER PICKUP
Ensure that you have a cooler large enough to hold the sack of crawfish and ample ice. One with a removable drain plug is best.
If using loose ice (out of the bag), leave the drain on your cooler open. Your crawfish become dormant from the cold and the ice water collected in the bottom of the cooler will cause them to drown and die.
REPEAT… DO NOT submerge your crawfish in water or let them sit in melted ice water for any length of time, until you are rinsing and preparing to cook them. They will drown and die.
Keeping your crawfish cool and damp is key. This will keep them dormant and provide moisture for their gills until you’re ready to clean and cook them. Ice placed on top and allowed to slowly melt through the sacks is ideal.
If you have access to mechanical refrigeration (refrigerator or electric cooler), 38-42 degrees works well for us in keeping crawfish alive for multiple days.
REGARDING “SALT PURGING” OF LIVE CRAWFISH
“There is no evidence from this study that suggests the use of salt in cleansing crawfish was beneficial, but results do indicate that a saltwater bath may contribute to increased mortality, if washed crawfish are subjected to refrigerated storage for several days prior to cooking. Conventional commercial-style purging for 12 hours or longer is the only known way to significantly reduce the size of the hindgut in cooked crawfish, and that method is usually not practical for consumers.”
We DO NOT practice salt purging at The Bayou Bandit, but we stress the importance of cleaning your crawfish thoroughly. This can be done in a barrel, bucket, cooler or commercial cleaner. No matter what you use, the end goal is clean, lively crawfish. Keep stirring and draining the water until it runs clear and pick out the crushed, dead or dying ones. Once you’ve done this, the crawfish are ready for cooking.