How long does crab meat last?
Crab meat keeps for 1 to 3 days in the fridge, up to 2 to 4 months in the freezer. USDA lists 2 kinds of crab meat; the first is shown here and all are in the table below.
fresh
No guideline
1 to 3 days
from purchase
2 to 4 months
best quality within
All kinds of crab meat, side by side
| Kind | Pantry | Fridge | After opening | Freezer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| fresh | no guideline | 1 to 3 days | no guideline | 2 to 4 months |
| pasteurized | no guideline | 10 to 12 months | 3 to 5 days | 4 to 10 months |
No guideline: USDA gives no time for that place, usually because the food is not stored that way.
How to tell crab meat has gone bad
General signs for seafood: shellfish, the group USDA lists crab meat under.
- Shells that stay open and will not close when tapped
- Cracked or broken shells on live shellfish
- Strong ammonia or sour smell instead of a fresh sea smell
- Shrimp with a slimy texture or spreading black spots
- Live shellfish that float in water instead of sinking
More on seafood: shellfish. The times above are quality guidelines, not safety limits; food that shows these signs goes out regardless of the date.
Storage habits that make the difference
Store live shellfish in a breathable container, like a bowl covered with a damp cloth, never sealed in plastic or submerged in water. Keep them cold, near 32 to 40 F (0 to 4 C), and cook the same day if possible. Refrigerate cooked shellfish and shrimp promptly and use within a couple of days.
More in seafood: shellfish
Source: USDA FSIS FoodKeeper dataset (public domain). Times assume a fridge at 40 F (4 C) and a freezer at 0 F (-18 C). How we decode the data.