Crawfish: The southern delicacy warms the soul in the Northwoods
Some people use traps or nets, which work great, but harvesting these on your own can be enormous fun as well. They are easier to be found at night when they are more active. They generally like rocky shorelines, but they can also be readily found along sandy shorelines. You will need to use trial and error usually to find them. Remains from filleting fish can help greatly.
Make sure to consult with state and local regulations regarding baiting, harvesting, and possessing crawfish.
Distract the crawfish with a bright flashlight, and snatch them up with pliers or a well gloved hand. Many people will fearlessly grab them up by hand, but they can have a rather surprising pinch.
5-8 pounds will produce about a pound of tail and claw meat.
After harvesting, place in container (a dry bag works great) with clean filtered water, agitate gently for a minute, and allow to sit for several hours. Pour out water and replace with more clean water and gently agitate. This process purges the crawfish and allows for the removal of sand and mud.
In an appropriately sized pot, bring water to boil while adding generous amounts of Cajun/creole seasoning and cayenne pepper.
Boil the crawfish for approximately 10-12 minutes, or until they float.
After cooking enjoy hot or cold, by themselves or with rice or pasta, or any other combination of your choosing. Bon appetite!
The Drink You Can’t Get Anywhere Else in the World
Easy Trail Ham and Squash Soup
