PM Update: Scattered showers and thunderstorms through the early evening. Much cooler on Monday. You may have to dodge some raindrops through about 8 tonight. A cold front moves through tomorrow morning and ushers in much more seasonable weather.
Only cook live crabs, because they deteriorate very quickly after they have expired. You can simply throw the crabs in a pot of boiling water to cook them. Depending on the size of the crabs, it will take between 6 and 10 minutes for them to cook thoroughly. If the crab is alive when you start, the amount of cooking time has very little to do with safety  it s more a question of whether the meat is underdone, overdone, or cooked just right.
Boiling the Crab. 1  1. Freeze the crabs before boiling. With live crabs, you should place them in a freezer for approximately 15 minutes prior to cooking. 2  2. Fill a stock pot with water. A stock pot is a large, steel pot, typically 12 to 14 ounces. 3  3. Salt and flavor the water. Make sure to salt the water heavily.