You aren' t completely SOL, Lil, you just have to chew the meat off the inside of the shells is all! Its always a logistics challenge to get crab cooked before they are frozen. Most of the time they are a lot easier to buy (and sometimes even catch yourself) than to get cooked unless you are set up to do the job in volume. Freezing them fresh is a last resort.

Back in the 70s and 80s I used to sell crab off my boat and it was pretty humorous watching people who didn' t have a clue how to prepare one properly - insist on taking the animal off the dock. . .live (innards and all). Your garbage can takes on its own personality with elderly crab guts and pickup day still 4-5 days away!

Juno Grl - Neighbors? Could be.