13 Of The Best Canned Crab Meat Brands You Can Buy
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We think that preparing, cooking, and eating fresh crabs is a rewarding experience, yet it involves back-breaking work. There's lots of cracking, breaking, and twisting to release the buttery fleshy meat hidden within (and you can even add the leftover crab fat to your mashed potatoes). But not everyone has access to freshly harvested crabs or the energy to follow this rigorous preparation process.
Canned crab meat is much easier to prepare, but does it melts in your mouth or give you the same salty-sweet taste of the ocean as fresh crabs? The answer is in finding the right brand. However, don't confuse these products with imitation crab. Canned crab meat is made from real crabs. It's precooked and typically stored in brine and other ingredients for preservation.
When evaluating each brand, look for pointers like the ingredients and how the crab meat is processed. Another crucial factor is the company's commitment to preserving the oceans. Are they fishing ethically, working with the locals, or partnering with other organizations for sustainability? This helps ensure the oceans are healthy for future generations. Don't worry if all this sounds overwhelming, as this article will break it down for you. We listed the top canned crab meat brands so that you can find one to enjoy all year round.
Chicken of the Sea
Of the many canned crab meat brands available, Chicken of the Sea is top tier. One reviewer describes it as "a solid choice" if fresh crabs aren't easily accessible. Another person shared that they were "reluctant to try canned crab meat for a long time," but this brand was impressive in "salad and dips!" Chicken of the Sea produces various canned crab meat grades, including jumbo lump, backfin, super lump, claw, and special. They differ in the size of the meat and the flavor added to your dishes.
Containing 13 grams of protein, 15% calcium, and 4% Iron, Chicken of the Sea crab meat is nutrient-dense. It's made from blue swimming crabs with a sweet buttery flavor that one consumer describes as "far superior to less expensive canned crab." For preservation, the company seals the fresh harvest in water containing sugar, citric acid, salt, calcium disodium EDTA, sodium metabisulfite, disodium phosphate, and sodium pyrophosphate.
Chicken of the Sea wins the heart of consumers with its century-long history of providing great quality seafood. The company also devotes resources to protecting the seas, as it's one of the founding members of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF), which ensures responsible use of the ocean and its resources. Furthermore, the company has published a sustainability report every year since 2011, so consumers can be sure their food is ethically sourced.
Crown Prince
Crown Prince partners with independent fishermen who harvest fresh blue swimming crab off the Indonesian coast. Before canning, they're picked and cleaned by hand, but the company doesn't use bleach or other harsh chemicals. This product has only fresh crab meat in salt water and citric acid; no preservatives like sulfites or flavors like MSG. These simple ingredients are sufficient to keep it tasting fresh even after storage.
One reviewer said, "The taste exceeded my expectations." Another happy consumer commented, "this crabmeat brand is excellent and fresh tasting. you can actually see bits & pieces of crab — not some slush floating in murky water like some other brands." This reviewer adds that Crown Prince crab meat provides excellent value for your money because it's "not packed in volumes of water, just enough [to] keep [it] moist."
Crown Prince crab meat is an excellent protein source, giving consumers 17 grams of protein along with omega-3 fatty acids. The company also commits to protecting the community and its resources by using ethical harvesting methods. It established a "Green Team" to find new ways to support its environmental conservation efforts.
Bumble Bee
Bumble Bee white crab meat is a nutrient gold mine, nourishing you with 16 grams of protein, 15% calcium, and 2% iron per serving. In addition, it's cost-effective and provides shoppers with large lumps of crab meat at an affordable price. According to one reviewer, one can of Bumble Bee has as much meat as "half [a] pound of crab legs."
The taste of fresh crabs is one reason shoppers choose Bumble Bee over other brands. It has ingredients like citric acid and disodium pyrophosphate to lock in the natural flavors, and the preservatives calcium disodium EDTA and sodium metabisulfite. One consumer said, "of the ones we have tried, this one, Bumble Bee, tastes the best." As one of the founding members of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF), Bumble Bee is passionate about preserving the oceans. The company also belongs to other environmental protection groups, such as the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI), which collects lost fishing equipment.
Flower Brand
Flower Brand fancy white crab meat comes in 6-ounce cans and is packed with 7 grams of protein per serving in addition to other valuable nutrients such as calcium. It has zero fat and only 1 gram of carbohydrates. Flower brand is one of the few low-sodium canned crab meat options with 140 milligrams in one serving, and it also has less cholesterol than most.
The ingredients in Flower Brand canned crab meat that help preserve its taste, color, and texture are citric acid, salt, sugar, sodium metabisulfite, and calcium disodium EDTA. This brand doesn't have GMO ingredients or added flavors like MSG. For its price, Flower Brand canned crabs meat gives consumers an excellent experience; one reviewer explained, "6 pack for a great price! Tried 2 cans immediately & it was awesome! Highly recommend!" Another person commented, further explaining that it's "Excellent to add to [a] garden salad or to make a seafood plate." We can't help but agree.
Philips
Philips is a family-owned brand that makes various categories of canned crab meat, including lump, special, claw, and cocktail claw. The company also has a half-and-half blend of special and claw meat called Chef's Select Special. Philips, which has been operating for about a century, works with fishermen and has processing plants in Southeast Asia to ensure consumers get fresh crabs throughout the year.
Immediately after harvest, the crabs are steamed, handpicked over ice, and separated into grades. Next, the meat is assessed for quality before being canned, pasteurized, and shipped to the desired destination. Phillips canned crab meat has two main ingredients, wild-caught crab meat and sodium acid pyrophosphate (SAPP), to prevent struvite crystals.
The company doesn't add sugar or other sweeteners to this product, thus preserving its authentic taste. One reviewer declared that this brand makes "the best lump crab meat you can buy." And another person added that it provides "Outstanding taste and freshness for the price." Philips canned crab meat has a relatively low sodium content of 190 milligrams compared to most canned crab meat on the market. Consumers get 10 grams of protein and zero carbohydrates together with micronutrients like calcium and potassium.
Miller's Select
Miller's Select provides authentic wild blue lump or claw crab meat. If you're skeptical about canned crab meat, this brand may change your mind with its high quality and delicious flavor. One Walmart shopper's comment reads, "This is the best crab I've tasted out of any canned crab meat ... The quality of this brand really blew me away ... I will only buy this from now on."
This company gets freshly harvested crabs from local farmers, then packages them in water containing salt, disodium phosphate, and citric acid. These ingredients keep the natural flavor of the crab meat. In the words of one consumer, Miller's Select canned crab meat "tastes fresh and works very well in chowder and crab cakes." Miller's Select canned crab meat provides consumers with 13 grams of protein in each serving as well as calcium and iron. Also, this product contains 1% of your daily dietary fat needs and zero carbohydrates.
Geisha
Made from wild-caught blue swimming crab, one reviewer describes Geisha canned crab meat as "The best tasting canned crab I have consumed. Also the best priced." The brand contains crab meat in a sugar and salt solution, but it also has other ingredients like citric acid, calcium disodium EDTA, sodium metabisulphite, and disodium phosphate.
From one can of Geisha fancy white crab meat, consumers get 15 grams of protein and 25% of the calcium needed daily. It also provides vitamin D and iron. On the flip side, Geisha Fancy crab meat with leg meat is a richer source of protein, providing 16 grams as well as 35% calcium.
In 1911, the Geisha brand was born and began selling canned king crab meat; the name was trademarked a year later in 1912. This long history spanning over a century is one of the reasons this brand has remained a trusted choice among shoppers for generations.
Pontchartrain
For many shoppers, Pontchartrain Blue Crab meets two essential needs; fresh taste and affordable price. This comment from a reviewer on Influenster sums up how many consumers feel about this product, "I can't find a lot of store-bought crab[s] that tastes like its fresh off the boat, but this comes fairly close. And the best part is it always fits into my budget."
Pontchartrain Blue Crab has two ingredients; blue crab meat and sodium acid pyrophosphate. With the help of local fishermen, this company processes fine-quality crabs harvested in Louisiana. The meat is hand-picked to remove shells, then pasteurized and canned for shipping or storage.
This product can last up to 60 days in your refrigerator when unopened and five days for leftovers in the can. Pontchartrain crab meat is available in various categories, jumbo lump, regular lump, special, claw, and cocktail claw, giving consumers diverse textures and flavors from which to choose. Additionally, Pontchartrain crab meat is nutrient-dense, providing consumers with 20 grams of protein, 8% calcium, and 4% iron.
Heron Point
Heron Point has a wide range of canned crab meat products for consumers, including blue swimmer crab and red swimming crab. These products come in various sizes and parts, from colossal to claw. Heron Point crabs are harvested from the wild and carefully processed to maintain freshness.
One thrilled reviewer said, "OMG!! Absolutely Delicious. The crab meat is fresh and sweet and truly, all lump crab meat — no stringy stuff. It is worth the price ... Great value for the superb flavor."
Heron Point stands out from other canned crab brands with its high protein content of 17 grams per serving. One person said, "Turned these cans into jumbo lump crab cakes and everyone loved them! These were better than the "fresh" crab I got from a local seafood market last year. Will purchase again!" Heron Point canned crab needs to be refrigerated but has an impressively long shelf life of up to 18 months.
MW Polar
The MW Polar brand makes Fancy Lump, White, and Pink Crab Meat. These products are made from wild-caught crabs, which are canned and then boiled. This brand of canned crabs has an extensive ingredient list that includes agents like disodium phosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate, glycine, ribotide, citric acid, EDTA, and SMS, which help with its flavor and longevity. This is a massive win for consumers as it can last a long time on your shelf till you're ready to use it.
The preparation process used by MW Polar ensures the product remains naturally sweet. According to this Walmart shopper, this brand makes the "Finest quality lump crab you'll find in a can. Once you open it, there is no odor and you try a lump crab piece plain in its brackish water flavored by the natural sweetness of the firm luscious thick crab pieces." MW Polar Fancy Lump Crab Meat provides 5.7 grams of protein in each serving as well as 12% calcium and 1% iron. It contains 20.20 milligrams of cholesterol, which makes up only 6.70% of your daily needs.
Reese
According to one consumer, the main reason they choose Reese canned crab meat is that it's a "Great product. Good quality. Very good. So versatile. Delicious." Another reviewer on Amazon said, "Can I just say "delicious" twenty times? That's pretty much all I've got to say. The canned crab meat arrived promptly and was exactly as represented." The 1-star reviewers noted that the crab meat was pretty bland, but we prefer that quality in canned crab meat so that you can transform it into whatever you desire.
This brand harvests crabs from the wild, which undergo processing to ensure they taste fresh and remain firm even after canning. The main ingredients in this brand of crabmeat are wild-caught crab meat, salt, sugar, citric acid, sodium pyrophosphate, calcium disodium EDTA, and sodium metabisulfite. Consumers enjoy 10 grams of protein, 8% calcium, and 6% iron in each serving of Reese All White Crab Meat. Other varieties of crab meat from this brand include Lump style and Fancy 15% Leg crab meat.
Handy
Handy was established in 1894 and has continued producing high-quality seafood for generations. Handy canned crab meat is available in various grades, and on the lids of some of the cans, you may find an estimate of the number of crab meat lumps within. This way, you can be confident that you are getting your money's worth.
Consumers describe Handy crab meat as "delightful" and "soooooo good." The company sources sweet live crabs for processing, which are steamed immediately after harvest before their taste and texture change. Employees use a black light to fish for crab shells to ensure you enjoy every bite.
Handy crab meat is a great heart-healthy choice as it's low in sodium, 200 milligrams, and low in fat, 0.5 grams. Consumers get 10 grams of protein, as well as calcium and potassium. The only two ingredients in this product are crab meat and sodium acid pyrophosphate.
North Coast Seafoods
North Coast Seafoods is a family-owned company that makes some of the best canned crab meat money can buy. The crabs harvested off the coast of the Indonesian Spice Islands are immediately steamed and then picked by hand. This brand has the natural taste, texture, and flavor of fresh crabs, so it's suitable for diverse dishes. One reviewer said, "I make deviled crab, crab cakes, crabmeat hot dips, crabmeat salads all the time for my husband and I. This is the finest canned crab I've ever used."
But North Coast Seafoods isn't just great for making home-cooked meals; it's also a suitable choice if you're in the food industry. One buyer who runs a business making crab cakes said, "After trying other brands, it is only Culinary Reserve's Lump Crab Meat that gets us rave reviews every time about our Crab Cakes."
There are six categories of the North Coast Seafoods Culinary Reserve crab meat: claw, special, lump, super lump, jumbo, and colossal. The only ingredients in these products are crab meat and sodium acid pyrophosphate. This heart-friendly food is low in sodium and fat. It's a great nutrient source that provides 10 grams of protein in one 4-ounce serving.