How To Reheat Crab Boil
Crab boil is an excellent meal filled with corn, potatoes, and other vegetables. Eating it is amazing, and while not being able to finish it can be heartbreaking, you can always store and heat it up later. Hence, you need to know how to reheat crab boil properly.
Reheating crab boil is quite easy, and you can do it using an oven, a pan, or a microwave. All methods are effective and take less than 20 minutes regardless of the method.
Knowing how to reheat crab boil is not enough. You also need to know how to store it properly. I cover all the information you need in this article.
How to Reheat Crab Boil Using an Oven
The oven has proven to be the best way to reheat crab boil. Your reheated crab boil will smell and taste as good as when it was first made.
However, try not to expose your meal to high temperatures. Low temperatures will preserve the fatty oils in the crab.
To reheat your crab boils in an oven:
- Preheat the oven to 250°F.
- Place a parchment paper over a baking dish or tray.
- Now, place the crab boil in the dish and place the dish in the oven.
- Leave the meal in the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- If the crab boil is not hot enough, you can leave it in for a few more minutes. However, ensure to check on it frequently to avoid the meal burning.
How to Reheat Crab Boil Using a Stove
Using a stove is not a well-known method, but you can use it to reheat your crab boil and get great results.
To reheat crab boil using a stove:
- First, fill ¾ of the pan with water and bring to a boil.
- Put the crab boil in a bag, seal it properly, and place the bag in boiling water.
- Allow the bag to stay in the water for five minutes until it is properly warm. You can leave the bag in the water longer if the crab boil is not warm enough.
- Pour the meal out of the bag and into the plate and serve.
Some people prefer to hold the bag in the boiling water as their crab boil heats. If you are one of these people, ensure you wear the appropriate safety apparatus.
Also, ensure you use clean water to heat your crab boil.
How to Reheat Crab Boil Using a Microwave
Using a microwave is another convenient method for reheating crab boil, and it is safer than using a pan.
Here are steps to reheat crab boil using a microwave:
- First, put the crab boil in a bag and seal it. You can separate the crab from the vegetables and heat them individually.
- After, place the bag in a bowl and into the microwave.
- Set the microwave on high and warm for about seven minutes.
- You can warm for longer if the crab boil is not hot enough. Be careful when opening the bag so the steam in the bag doesn’t hurt you.
- Once your meal is warm enough, you can serve it.
When using a microwave, be careful not to overheat the crab boil. This is because too much heat can cause fatty oils in the crab to break down, meaning you won’t get the nutrients they provide.
Why Do You Need to Reheat Crab Boil?
It’s fairly obvious that most people enjoy eating their leftovers while it’s hot. However, there are some meals you can still enjoy cold or at least at room temperature. Unfortunately, crab boil is not one of them.
Most crab boils have gravy in them, and gravy has a slimy texture when cold. Due to the nature of cold gravy, it is best you reheat your crab boil before eating it.
How to Store Crab Boil
The fun doesn’t have to end when it comes to crab boil. You can easily store leftovers in the fridge or freezer for future use. However, ensure to eat the leftover within a certain period.
Using a Refrigerator
To store crab boil in the fridge:
- Wait for the crab boil to cool down
- Now, transfer the meal into a ziplock bag or tightly sealed container
- Store in the fridge.
If you store crab boil properly in the fridge, it can last for up to four days. However, keep in mind that a fridge cannot fully stunt the growth of bacteria, so try and eat the leftover crab boil before the four days elapses.
Using a Freezer
You can store crab boil in the freezer like you would in the fridge. Here’s how:
- Once your meal has cooled down, put it in a ziplock bag or airtight container
- Store in the freezer.
The crab boil can last for up to three months in the freezer.