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It was a Monday night in August, and a handful of cars had pulled into the Peace River Seafood & Botanicals parking lot. The fish shack is usually closed on Mondays, but tonight was different: I was about to earn a master of blue crabology during its inaugural Blue Crab University.
Why Peace River Seafood Feels Like Old Florida
Peace River Seafood is one of my favorite Southwest Florida restaurants. Because of my previous role in the local tourism industry, I’ve watched it grow and evolve over the years. Housed in a 1926 Florida Cracker house in Punta Gorda, the seafood market and restaurant has been operated by Kelly and Jimmy Beall since 2003. Kelly’s father was a commercial fisherman, and with her marketing background, she eventually left her job to hustle blue crabs and open the restaurant with her husband, commercial crabber Jimmy.
Although the restaurant serves a variety of seafood, its signature items are boat-to-table blue crabs, plucked fresh out of Charlotte Harbor by local captains. Many times, I’ve sat outside at a picnic table and watched crabbers pull up with their harvest, then seen the crates go off to be steamed and eventually served. The WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! of wooden mallets cracking blue crabs is part of the soundtrack of the place.
Why Blue Crab University Was Born
Cracking blue crabs isn’t for the timid or impatient, which is one reason Blue Crab University began. Over the years, many Peace River Seafood customers have sat down to an abundant bowl of fresh crabs and asked their servers, “How do you crack these crabs?”
Kelly’s concept goes beyond teaching customers how to crack blue crabs. Blue Crab University also covers Crab 101, local crabbing history, Atlantic blue crab biology, life in Charlotte Harbor, commercial crabbing, and the hands-on lesson in how to pick a blue crab, all while helping keep the region’s crabbing heritage alive.
Inside the First Blue Crab University Class
When I entered the Old Florida seafood shack, I picked up my student field manual, wooden mallet, and Blue Crab University T-shirt, all included with registration along with the lecture, demonstration, and all-you-can-eat blue crabs. All students, about 20 of us, changed into our shirts before the lesson began, adding to the playful college theme. Seating was outside on the patio, where I found a spot at a picnic table across from my friends who drove from Sebring. Others at the table were from within Charlotte County.
As Kelly kicked off the lesson, we were served blue crab cornbread, and it was delightful. I had no idea it was even a thing, but I’m so glad it is. It’s a tasty combination of crab and seafood-boil seasoning that tastes a little like Old Bay, but not quite.
Crabology 101: Blue Crab Facts and Field Notes
I’ve cracked crustaceans at Peace River Seafood more times than I can count, but I still learned new facts and tidbits. For example, the buoys on crab traps are labeled with letters and numbers indicating the type of trap, such as R for recreational and V for commercial, along with the state endorsement number.
Two crabs were used to show the two genders. By looking at the crab’s underside, if the apron, or flap, is narrow and looks like the Washington Monument, it’s a male crab, also called a Jimmy. Its claw tips are blue. A female’s apron is shaped like a purse and has red claw tips, like lipstick.
How to Crack a Blue Crab Like a Pro
The time came for what we all gathered for: cracking crabs. We were walked through the process during the “Crack Like a Pro” portion of the evening, and a staff member visited each table to show us step by step how to reach the lump meat. She also pointed out what we probably didn’t want to eat, such as the lungs and mustard, the yellowish or greenish substance that is part of the crab’s digestive system.
Graduating with a Master in Blue Crabology
Everyone received an endless bowl of steamed crabs with a corn coblet, potato, and melted butter. A happy buzz of chatter rose over the camaraderie of cracking crabs. Before the evening wrapped up, Kelly called each of us up to graduate and receive a diploma from Blue Crab University with a Master in Blue Crabology. We gathered for a group photo before saying our goodbyes.
If you’re curious about learning how to crack blue crabs yourself, keep an eye out for future Blue Crab University sessions. Follow Peace River Seafood & Botanicals on Facebook for upcoming class dates, registration information, and announcements. You’ll find the restaurant at 5337 Duncan Road, Punta Gorda, FL.
Blue Crab University was a fun, uniquely Southwest Florida way to spend a Monday evening: cracking crabs, learning local history, and connecting with others over a shared interest.
