Freeze your live blue crabs for at least 2 hours to put them to sleep. This will make it easier to handle and it’s also the most humane way to kill them.

To a pot combine onions, apples, garlic, ginger, jalapeños, dried kelp, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and water. Bring it up to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain and cool down to room temp.

To clean the crabs, first remove the apron (flab on the back), separate the shell from the abdomen, cut off the eyes and antennae, and cut off any other sharp, jagged edges. Optional, you can also cut off the ends of the legs. There isn’t a lot of meat here and will help the brine penetrate the flesh.

Scrub down the crabs to get any scum off them. Remove any innards, but make sure to keep the eggs and the mustard! (Basically keep everything that is yellow/orange)

Transfer the crabs to a sterilized container and pour the brine on top. Make sure the crabs are fully submerged.

Store it in the fridge for at least 24 hours before enjoying with a hot bowl of rice!