Buying Maryland Blue Crabs: A Guide to Sizes, Grades & Bushels
Walk up to a crab house counter for the first time and the lingo can be baffling: jimmies, sooks, #1s, jumbos, bushels, "are they heavy?" Don't worry — it's simple once you know the terms. Here's a plain-English guide to buying Maryland blue crabs so your feast at the house is exactly right.
How crabs are sized
Crabs are measured point to point — across the widest part of the shell, from the tip of one outer spine to the other. One important caveat: grading isn't standardized, so a "jumbo" at one crab house may differ slightly from the next. The ranges below are typical Chesapeake usage, not hard rules — when in doubt, ask the seller to show you.
The size grades
- Colossal / Heavyweight (about 7"+): the rare giants — impressive, pricey, and not always available.
- Jumbo (about 6¼"+): very large crabs; maximum meat and the showpiece of a feast.
- Large (roughly 6–7"): heavy and meaty — a great all-around feast crab.
- Medium / "Bay" (about 5–6"): includes the smallest legal-size crabs; better value, a bit more work per crab.
- Small: often early- or late-season crabs with less meat — fine for picking for crab cakes.
Jimmies vs. sooks
You'll also choose by sex. Jimmies are males — typically the most sought-after (a "#1" is a top male), usually around 5½–6¼ inches, with more claw meat and a firmer texture. Sooks are females, recognized by the orange tips on their claws and a broad, dome-shaped apron; their body meat is often sweeter and more tender, and in summer they may carry roe, which some consider a delicacy. Both make a great feast — it comes down to preference (claw meat vs. sweetness).
How they're sold — and how many to buy
Crabs are sold by the bushel (or half/quarter bushel) and sometimes by the dozen. A bushel typically holds roughly six to seven dozen crabs, depending on their size — bigger crabs mean fewer per bushel. As a rough planning rule, figure about 6–12 crabs per person for a feast (hungry adults at the high end, alongside corn and sides). For a full house, a bushel or two usually does it — and the single most important question to ask is whether the crabs are "heavy" (full of meat). A heavy medium beats a light jumbo every time.
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Buying tips
- Ask "are they heavy?" — weight for size is the real quality signal.
- Buy local and in season (Maryland's crab season runs April through mid-December, peaking July–September) for the best, freshest crabs.
- Order ahead for a feast, especially on summer weekends and around holidays.
- Pick your priority: jimmies for claw meat and size, sooks for sweet body meat and value.
- Don't over-order; remember the corn, sides, and that picking crabs is a long, leisurely affair.