Stone crab season in Miami: when it is, and how to eat them

Florida stone crab season runs from October 15 through May 1, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Stone crabs are eaten only for their claws: the claw is taken, the crab goes back into the water alive, and the claws are cooked, chilled and served cold and cracked, almost always with a mustard dipping sauce. For many people in Miami the first stone crabs of the season are a fall ritual.

When is stone crab season in Florida?

The season opens on October 15 and closes on May 1 each year, statewide, for both commercial and recreational harvest. Outside those dates you will not find fresh stone crab claws, so restaurants that specialize in them often follow the season too. Rules can change, so check the FWC's current regulations if you are planning around the dates, especially for the first and last weeks.

Why do you only eat the claws?

Florida law allows only the claws to be harvested. A claw must measure at least 2 7/8 inches from the elbow joint to the tip of the lower, fixed finger, and the crab itself must be returned to the water alive. Taking claws from egg-bearing females is prohibited. A stone crab can regrow a lost claw over time. The FWC notes that it is legal to take both claws if both are legal size, but it encourages harvesters to take only one, so the released crab can still defend itself and feed.

What do the stone crab sizes mean?

Claws are sold and listed on menus by size, from smallest to largest:

Size	What to expect
Medium	Several claws per pound, good for a starter or for sharing
Large	A middle size with a good balance of meat and value
Jumbo	The most popular size for a main course
Colossal	The biggest claws, a few to a pound, with large pieces of meat

The bigger the claw, the higher the price per claw and the less work per bite. Prices follow the catch and change through the season, so expect menus to list them as market price.

How are stone crabs cooked and served?

Stone crab claws are cooked soon after they are landed, usually boiled for a few minutes and then plunged into ice water to stop the cooking. They are almost never served hot. At the table they come chilled and already cracked, so the shell lifts away and the sweet white meat can be pulled out with a small fork. The classic partner is a cold, tangy mustard sauce, and many places also offer melted butter or lemon.

How do you eat stone crab claws?

1. Pick up a claw and pull away the cracked pieces of shell by hand.
2. Use the small fork to lift out the meat from the main part of the claw.
3. Work the meat out of the movable pincer, which holds a long strip.
4. Dip each piece in the mustard sauce.

It is messy, and that is expected. Most places bring a bib, wet towels and a bowl for the shells.

Is the famous Miami Beach stone crab restaurant still open?

One Miami Beach restaurant began as a small lunch counter in 1913, two years before Miami Beach was incorporated, and it is credited with turning stone crab into a restaurant dish. It is said to be still run by the same family and to serve its claws with mustard sauce, and its opening each October is treated as local news. It is one of the most famous restaurants in Florida, so expect a wait at busy times, and check hours before you go, since its schedule follows the season.

Where else can you eat stone crabs in Miami?

During the season, stone crab claws appear at seafood restaurants all over Miami and Miami Beach, at fish markets that sell them cooked and chilled to take home, and at waterfront restaurants along Biscayne Bay. Buying cooked claws from a fish market and eating them at home is popular with locals and often cheaper than a restaurant. Keep them cold and eat them within a day or two.

Can you catch your own stone crabs?

Yes, with the right paperwork. In Florida, recreational harvesters need a saltwater fishing license, and trap fishing has its own FWC registration rules. Each person may use up to five traps, and the daily bag limit is one gallon of claws per person or two gallons per boat, whichever is less. Traps must have an escape ring for small crabs, the size limit still applies, and the crab always goes back alive. Rules change, so read the FWC's current regulations before you set a trap.

What goes with stone crabs?

The classic stone crab meal in Miami comes with hash browns and creamed spinach, followed by a slice of key lime pie. A crisp white wine or a cold beer works well with the sweet meat and sharp mustard sauce.

Stone crabs are a seasonal treat worth planning a meal around. If you find a market or restaurant doing them well, Mosey lets you rate the dish with a photo and add it to a list, so friends know where to go when October comes around.

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