Salt necessary or just tap water will work?

I say just tap water...

Just open the purge valve.

Salt unneccessary (per my Cajun "source". Been having boils for years and we just take the bag of live crawfish and keep them in as cold water as you can muster. Just keep swapping out the old, dirty between batches if you can.

*what kind of "mix" do you use when they are boiled?

google is my friend

http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/crops_livestock/aquaculture/Scientist+More+Interested+in+Research+than+Crawfish+Boils.htm

That is a great article. Thanks for posting.

We just put them in an ice chest with a spigot, and keep flushing out the water.

We've added salt to the water before. Didn't make any difference as far as I could tell.

If anybody in the metroplex knows where to get good crawfish right now (preferrably in Tarrant county) let me know. I got a bad crawfish jones going.

I've never personally used these guys, but I know a few people who have.

http://www.cajuncrawfishco.com/default.asp

bdunk -
Those are actually the guys that cater the Dallas Aggies crawfish boils every year. I can tell you that those guys can cook some really good crawfish. I lived in Louisiana for 4 years and I am very picky about my crawfish. They do a hell of a job!

I've always gone through Nates (in Addison). Their Turbinado sauce/spice will put a hurtin' on you, but it's damn good!

I just ate 8 lbs. of Nate's turbo crawfish last night. Little pricey at $4.99/lb. but well worth it!

Did you have to buy a snowcone the next day to wipe your arse with!

I'm talking live bugs for backyard boiling.

I'm gonna give the link above a call and see what the price is.

Boy -
Pretty much! Not sure if it is hotter on the entry or exit. Once you quit eating them, the heat catches up with you. I actually didn't even waste the toilet paper......just hopped in the shower.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA...I remember going to Nates my first time and ordering a platter. Then I had to head to the restoom. Of course I didn't wash my hands off thoroughly prior, so when I got back to the seat, well....

*remember that scene in Revenge of the Nerds when they put the Liquid Heat in the football players jocks. I was in agony the rest of the night!

Be careful also when you and the lady friend go to a crawfish boil, drink a little beer and head home "in the mood". If you've been eating crawfish all day long, even if you wash your hands well there's enough residue to have an adverse effect on sensitive areas.

Just a PSA.

I never enjoy taking my contacts out after an evening of eating crawfish.

man do you use fingers to pick out dingleberries or what??? Whether you wash your hands or not, the red eye shouldnt be burning until the meal is on its way out.

I use salt. I have found that it purges them more quickly and sedates them somewhat from ripping each other apart. Purge for about 25 minutes, harvest for the boiling pot and purge another batch while the other hits the boil. Keeps the party going with fresh tails.

If you purge too long in salt, they will die.

I'll purge with salt, even if Dr. Coonass says it doesn't do anything. Every bayou living coonass I've ever seen cooking crawfish uses it, and even if it's a wive's tale, a can of salt is only a dollar or so. Why not?

I do the same setup, but I have two purge stages. Both with salt. So, first into tub 1, then to clean water and tub 2, then into the pot. Tub 2 water is WAY cleaner than tub 1 water, for obvious reasons. Makes me feel like I got them cleaner.

Well, I'm sure the salt doesn't hurt anything if you want to keep doing it that way.

I just hate when some know-it-all jack*** tries to call you out at your own crawfish boil for not using salt to purge. Most people will side with the jack***, because most people think using salt is a must. Not true though, as proved in the article above by one of the few crawfish experts in the country.

We always buy ours pre purged. We will be cooking 4 tons or better on May 5th (ya I said tons). Email me for tickets.

I would like to add that Crawfish "purging" is not accomplished with salt in a mere 25 minutes in an ice chest. It takes 2-3 days of constant washing in vats with large rotating wheels that carry the crawfish in fresh water that is constantly being flushed and filtered.

WTF??? Where are you boiling 4 TONS of Crawfish???

Please swamp elaborate...

Anderson County Go Texan Crawfish Boil

It is a scholarship benefit for FFA and 4H students. Last year we gave out $12,000 in scholarships. It is all you can eat/BYOB/ live music. We feed 1500 - 2000 people every year one year we fed 2400. We have been doing it 20yrs so we know what we are doing. There also will be about 1500 lbs of fried catfish fillets with fries and hush puppies. Single tickets are $20, a reserved table of 10 is $220 (the extra 20 is to pay for the rental of tables and chairs}. It is on May 5th at the youth livestock pavilion in Palestine.

Purging with salt does nothing but put the crawdaddies in shock and make them more likely to die and thus be nasty. Plus, what are you trying to purge (I like the yellow stuff, it tastes like butter)? Crawfish taste great after rinsing them out in cold water - leave the spout open in the cooler and rinse until the water runs clear.

I'm no coonass, but da$# people!

Purging is basically getting them to clean out their intestines. The vein as some people call it. I am not sure what the salt does to get them to take a crap but I have heard that forever. The salt amount you are supposed to use is not really very much. Slighty salty as opposed to atlantic ocean salty.

The yellow stuff or "fat " as they call it is the hepatopancreas. Basically the liver and pancreas in one. No amount of salt is going to get him to poop that out. And yes it is very tasty.

Good Lord, put the f*&$%rs in some water (add salt if you want), boil them in some seasoned water, and sucks some heads and eat some tails. If you are sucking heads, the who gives a shiet what is in the tail. You are going to suck guts and then b%tch about eating a little crap? Sounds like 6 one way, 1/2 of a dozen the other. Just my 2 cents. I lived in Lousiana for 4 years and can tell you that if you spice it up the right way, nobody is going to give a shiet (pardon the pun) if they are purged or not.

It's official. I've got to eat crawfish this weekend!

[This message has been edited by bdunk11 (edited 3/23/2007 9:30a).]

Yeah, me too. I think I'm going to boil some tomorrow.

Going to eat some tomorrow!