Where Do Soft Shelled Crabs Come From?
A. A hard crab must molt or shed its shell in order to grow. When it molts, it is in the soft state that is commonly recognized as a “soft shell crab.” The “shedding” of a hard crab most often occurs in controlled “shedding tanks”. The soft crab must be removed from the tank within a very short time before it begins to harden once again. In Maryland, crabs molt from May through September.
