Because you eat the entire crab—soft shell and all—people typically fry them so the skin turns into a delicately crispy, bubbly layer. Although you could break out the deep fryer, we prefer to ...

Summer, sun, and soft-shell crabs — few combinations are as simple and memorable. Over the years, cooking and eating crabs has hit an all-time high and regulations are tightening to rebalance ...

Soft-shell crabs are deliberately taken out of the water during or, more commonly, right before they shed. Once their shells have molted, they can be sold as soft shell seafood delicacies.

Storage Notes: Refrigerate the crabs for up to 1 day; the beans, for up to 3 days. Where to Buy: Soft-shell crabs can be found at Asian and seafood markets and well-stocked supermarkets.

But his latest test of digestive fortitude is possibly his most jaw-dropping yet — how many soft-shell crab dishes can he eat before softie season ends. So far, his tally is 30 in 14 days.

Softies — blue crabs in the U.S. — are just what the name says. As they grow, crabs periodically shed their old hard shells, which exposes a new soft shell that eventually hardens.

According to Datassential MenuTrends, soft shells now appear on 15 percent more restaurant menus than they did five years ago. Brennan's of Houston's Blue Crab Bread Pudding with Soft-Shell Bisque.