Do you purge your crawfish?
 

Years ago, (Actually 37 years ago) I was taught how to boil. I was in charge in the Friday boil while at work. As a matter of fact, my job security as a helper was not hingent on how well I performed at my trade. It was dependent on how well I boiled crawfish and had them ready for 2pm.

So on a Friday, I purchased the ingredients and prepared the fest.

In doing so I would purge the crawfish by pouring one box of salt over them, and then filling the tub with water, and let them soak in the salt water for 45 minutes.

I was told this made them sick and empty their insides. After the 45 minutes is up, I would rinse until the water ran clear.

Then "Pond" crawfish emerged, and I was told you did not have to purge pond crawfish. I did not listen, and maintained the purge method.

The amount of dirty water that is produced helps to prove to myself over and over, that the mud I washed away is not going to end up in my stomach.

Do you purge, and if so, how?

If not, why?

Thank you

All I do is run fresh water into them. Empty the sack into the ice chest or pot and run fresh water into them w/ a hose and re rinse as the water gets cleaner. The rush of constant water will purge them. Also it helps getting the dead ones to float so you can pick em out. I don't use salt. The salt will shrink the tails if you use too much because it dehydrates them.

I boiled 200 lbs myself on Saturday and we boil probably 5-6 times a year. I always purge (sometimes with salt, sometimes without) for 5 minutes twice before cooking.

I rinse them with fresh water 3 or 4 times, basically what garfish does.

Next time you get some live crawfish take a couple out the sack and look at the underside of them, sometimes they are covered with feed/bait.....this is what you trying to get off.

The only thing that makes a crawfish purge themselve is Time without food. Salt only makes them puke, and running water over them only rinses the outside. True purged crawfish are left in huge vats without food for a prescribed period of time. Hawks Restaurant between Rayne and Crowley has the only purged crawfish I know of and they purge onsite. What would be the difference in pond crawfish and deep water crawfish as far as having to purge? Always rubs my azz when I see my wifey and inlaws picking the vein out of a boiled crawfish!:pissed: Eat the whole tale damnit! and stop wasting dat meat.

[I always purge (sometimes with salt, sometimes without) for 5 minutes twice before cooking.[/QUOTE]


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Raymond is right. You can't purge a crawfish unless it is kept from food for a minimum of 24 hours and then some.

I cant tell the difference when people do the salt thing or not. I think it is a wast of salt. I do however empty them into a tub and wash them several times with clean water.

It's simple if ya think about it for a minute. How long does it take for that 2 am Taco Bell burrito to get purged after a heavy night of drankin? Peeps and crawfish are no different, sooner or later ya ain't got nuthin left inside.:D

LOL:rotfl::rotfl:

24 hours in fresh well water is trully purged unless of course you have a huge aerated vat like Hawks as Raymond mentioned. ( man I got to go there this year). All their poop shoots will be clear after that. City water will kill them as well as salt if you leave them in it for an extended period.

If you only have a few hours I just spray them down real good with a good nozzle and keep filling, refilling, and stirring until they are clean.

I've always heard you can't purge crawfish in under 24 hours. We always wash them over and over to get them clean on the outside.

I've seen several people who boil for a living and they have a large tank that they continuosly run water through with an aerotor. this only cleans them like they said before to puge you have to not feed them.

ive been using salt for years and im pretty sure it works. i rinse them in a ice chest sack at a time with just water until the water is clear. then i add a can of salt. the water gets noticeably dirtier. when my crawfish are cooked when you eat them you dont get a grit in the vein.

Heinen's Boil-n-go in Lake Charles has purged crawfish, he has several big aerated vats in his shop. Heinen washes them in a mild citric acid wash to clean the outside and then purges for 24 hours, go try them you can tell the difference.

Here is a pretty good article. To me I think the salt helps but biologist say different.
http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/crops_...fish+Boils.htm

I'm a purger

I only wash my crawfish real well, I never use salt, to purge or boil. Salt makes the tail tougher, and also harder to come out of shell. I use just liquid boil, lemon juice, onions, red pepper, & oil. Once done, then I season with dry season. Slick as a whistle.

–Myth No. 1: Pour salt on crawfish to purge them. "In reality, the salt doesn’t do anything," McClain said. Fully purging crawfish can be accomplished only by placing them in an aerated water bath for up to 24 hours, but washing them removes mud and debris.

–Myth No. 2: Don’t eat boiled crawfish that have straight tails because that means they were dead before boiling. Crawfish crowded into the cooking pot can end up with straight tails, according to McClain, and dead crawfish at cooking can have curled tails. Even crawfish that are dead before boiling can be suitable for eating, depending on when death occurred and whether the crawfish were kept chilled. If a crawfish tail feels mushy, it’s probably best not to eat it.