(below). It’s thus one of the richest, most
flavorful parts of the body, and is especially
prized in lobsters and crabs. But it’s also what
makes crustaceans spoil so readily. The gland
is made up of tiny fragile tubes; and when the
animal is killed, the tubules are readily
attacked and damaged by their own enzymes,
which then spread into the muscle tissue and
break it down into mush. There are several
ways to avoid this spoilage. Lobsters and
crabs are sold either live, their digestive
system intact, or fully cooked, their enzymes
inactivated by the cooking. Because the
shrimp liver is relatively small, processors
often remove the “head” that contains it, and
sell only the tail meat. Raw shrimp that are
sold “head-on” must be handled with greater
care (iced immediately and continuously) and
don’t keep as long.
The Crustacean Cuticle, Molting, and
Seasonal Quality Another defining