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Oct 10, 2008 7:54 pm US/Eastern
Joe's Stone Crab Restaurant Opens For The Season
Stone Crab Season Runs From Oct. 15 - May 15
MIAMI BEACH (CBS4) ―
Grab your appetite and the drawn butter. Stone crab season is almost here again. Those highly anticipated, succulent claws will be available starting Monday October 15th, which is the first day of stone crab season but if you want to enjoy them earlier, get in line at Miami Beach's legendary Joe's Stone Crab Restaurant, which opened its doors Friday at 5:00 p.m. for their 96th season.
Just remember, when Joe's first opens, don't expect fresh-caught claws, they're frozen until the season officially opens on the 15th.
That's the day that seafood fans really look forward to because they love to chow down on the sweet and delicate tasting claw meat, often dripping in delicious mustard sauce.
The waters off the Florida Keys are Florida's top source of stone crab claws. About 40 percent of the state's average annual harvest of more than 3.1 million pounds comes from Keys waters, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The gastronomic treat come in various sizes. There's medium, large and jumbo claws. Last year, the jumbos were selling for about $20 a pound.
The stone crab is the state's only renewable commercial fishing resource. Legal-size claws are snapped off and the crab is returned to the water to grow new extremities.
Crabs can regenerate claws up to three times within their lifetime, which is normally seven to eight years, according to marine research scientists.
Stone crab season officially ends on May 15.
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