You might find yourself needing to make your food into smaller pieces because the recipe calls for it, or you just like to eat smaller portions.
This can be done in many ways, which include shredding. Shredding, in particular, is one popular way of doing this to food. It’s just a great way to break apart what you plan to eat.
People like to shred plenty of different foods out there. One food you may do it with is imitation crab in this article, what it is in the first place, how you can shred it, and finally, how you can safely store the imitation crab in your home.
Contents
What Is Imitation Crab?
For those of you who don’t know what imitation crab is, don’t worry because we have you covered! The imitation crab is exactly as it sounds.
It is used as a stand-in for crab in food such as sushi, crab cakes, seafood salads, and crab rangoons, to name a few.
The crab is made of surimi. Surimi is fish flesh that is deboned, washed, and then minced. Once it is minced, then it is turned into a paste. It does have a little of crab in the form of crab extract for flavoring. Other than that, pollock is also in surimi due to its mild color and odor.
So, this is what makes imitation crab imitation crab. You may be eating imitation crab and not even know it! It’s a great thing to use to substitute real crab because the hassle of preparing a real crab can be a pain.
Those that should not use imitation crab are those that have problems with seafood. If you have an allergy, just avoid this altogether.
It also might not be as healthy as real crab, but again it’s so much easier to use, and sometimes that is all that matters.
How Do You Shred Imitation Crab?
When it comes to shredding imitation crab, there are two different ways to do this. In this section, we will go into detail on how you can use all these methods to shred imitation crab.
By the end of this part, you will have all the information you need to make an informed decision.
Fork Method
Once you have the imitation crab open and sitting on a bowl or plate, then you can begin the process of shredding it.
The fork method is for those that don’t want to get their hands messy. Plus, all you need are some forks on hand, and we all have plenty of forks in our kitchen.
To use this method, do the following:
- Assuming the imitation crab is on the plate or in a bowl, grab one or two forks. It might be easier to use two because the shredding process will grow quickly, but you can still do it with one fork on hand as well.
- Start shredding the crab! The size of the shreds truly depends on how thick you want them. Some recipes call for thin slices, while others require thicker strands. It truly just depends on what you are cooking for your meal!
This is all there is to shred imitation crab with a fork or forks! Quick and not messy in the least.
Hand Method
Another way to shred your imitation crab is by shredding it with your hands. Some people may prefer this method because if you are using your hands, then you are not getting any utensils dirty.
- To start this, make sure the crab is on a plate or bowl. Also, just to be sure, wash your hands so you don’t transfer anything to the imitation crab. Hey, better to be safe than sorry!
- Start shredding that imitation crab! Like with the fork method, you can shred the imitation crab into whatever size you want or what the recipe calls for.
The only drawback of this method is that it can get extremely messy. You can expect the crab to get underneath your fingernails and/or all over your hands. It’s just the way of it.
How to Properly Store Imitation Crab
So, you have your shredded imitation crab now, but what if you don’t want to use it? Don’t worry because there are two great ways of storing your crab.
You can do it in your freezer or fridge. To do this, you must do the following steps:
- Grab that imitation crab and cover them in foil, plastic wrap, or freezer paper. Then you can put it into a zip-lock bag or some other brand equivalent. Make sure it is airtight because the last thing you want is a freezer burn on your imitation crab! It won’t taste good. If sealed properly, it can last as long as 6 months or more.
- If you decide to put your imitation crab in the fridge, put it in some plastic wrap or foil and then put that in a zip-lock bag. It can last up to a week in the fridge, provided you store it correctly.
The fridge method of storing food is best to use if you plan to use it within a couple of days. If you aren’t sure if you want to use it soon, then it needs to be put in the freezer.
Of course, if you plan to use your imitation crab right away, then none of this applies to you!
Final Thoughts
And there you go, all your imitation crab lovers out there! The first thing we touched on is what imitation crab is.
Not everyone knows what it is, so it’s helpful if you have a general idea of what it is. After that, we jumped into the methods to shred it and finally how to store it in case you don’t eat it right away.
The two methods of shredding imitation crab come with their pros and cons. If you are unsure of which one to use, then just try them both out. This way, you’ll know which one works best for you.
You might also be interested in the following:
- How To Shred Beef
- How To Shred Mozzarella
- How To Shred Zucchini
- How To Shred Carrots
- How To Shred Cheese Without a Grater
- How To Shred Chicken
- How To Shred Lettuce
- How To Shred Pork
- How To Shred Potatoes
I have been smoking and grilling meat from an early age and enjoy sharing my knowledge and expertise through the hundreds of articles I have written about BBQ. I hope to make everyone’s BBQ journey that little bit easier.