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Some folks call 'em crayfish, crawdads, or mudbugs, but here in Louisiana they are simply CRAWFISH, whether they are basin crawfish, spillway crawfish, or pond crawfish.
We've been catching crawfish all our life, and love the Louisiana tradition of a long, leisurely crawfish boil in spring!
Hot, boiled Crawfish ... enjoy them in Louisiana, or have them shipped live nationwide to your home!
(Photograph by the author)
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Crawfish are freshwater crustaceans. Louisiana has more than 30 different species of crawfish, but only two species are commercially important to the industry: the red swamp crawfish and the white river crawfish.
Crawfish are healthy food. They are an excellent source of high-quality protein, low in calories, fat and saturated fat, and a good source of vitamins.
And today you can order live crawfish online from a number of crawfish farmers and retailers in Louisiana, and shipped nationwide overnight.
With the advent of the Internet, and shippers such as FedEx, crawfish lovers outside of Louisiana can enjoy fresh, Louisiana crawfish delivered to their door at home, or their nearest airport! Listed below are several leading Louisiana crawfish farms and live crawfish distributors.
 Fresh, live Louisiana Crawfish!
(Photograph by the author)
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Louisiana is known for its Cajun and Creole culture, and its legendary Cajun cooking and crawfish.
Excellent Cajun cooking abounds in all parts of Louisiana, whether your tastes tend to seafood gumbo, Boudin, Andouille sausage, or maybe even fried alligator!
Crawfish is a key ingredient in many Louisiana dishes and meals ... some of our favorites are Crawfish Etouffee, Crawfish Bisque, Crawfish Pie, Fried Crawfish, Crawfish Jambalaya, and of course boiled crawfish.
Crawfish season varies from one year to the next, based on how cold (or mild) the weather was during the Louisiana winter. It also depends on the amount of rain, and the water levels in the swamps and bayous. In some years, such as 2011, high water levels in the Mississippi River, Red River and Atchafalaya River impact the timing, and overall production, of the season.
Generally, the crawfish season in Louisiana runs from January through July for crawfish caught in the wild. Crawfish from farms are available over a longer period of the year.
In 2012, ideal growing conditions and a wet winter are raising predictions of a bumper crawfish crop in Louisiana this year. Unseasonably warm weather in February have the crawfish crawling, and the traps are getting fuller! This equates to a market environment in which consumers could see reduced prices compared to recent years.
In the heart of Cajun Country, just east of Lafayette on I-10, is the community of Breaux Bridge, the Crawfish Capital of the World, close to Henderson, the gateway to the great Atchafalaya Swamp. Breaux Bridge is also the home of the annual Crawfish Festival scheduled for May 4-6, 2012.
Nearly all of the live crawfish sold in the U.S. come from Louisiana, and begin life in the wild waters of the state, or on a farm. Commercial sales of crawfish in Louisiana date back to the late 1800s, and today's crawfish industry includes millions of pounds harvested from farms and natural waterways in the Bayou State.
There is stiff competition from "foreign" importers, but we steadfastly do not purchase imported crawfish: read the label carefully and see where they are from!
The harvesting of wild crawfish from natural habitats such as bayous, swamps and marshes provides a significant number of jobs for Louisiana residents. In addition, crawfish farming is a major industry in Louisiana, with Louisiana commercial crawfish farmers providing 85% of domestically produced crawfish to Louisiana markets and across the nation.
According to the LSU AgCenter, in 1997 Louisiana crawfish farmers produced about 47 million pounds of crawfish, compared with 111 million pounds in 2011; the total value increased from $27.9 million to $163 million. During that same period, wild crawfish production fell from 30 million pounds in 1997 to 15 million pounds in 2011.
Of course the swamp is full of more than just crawfish! Alligators are plentiful in Louisiana, and a harvest season is monitored by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries each year.
The story of alligator hunting in Louisiana is told in the hit TV series "Swamp People" on the History Channel.
Read more about "Swamp People" and other Louisiana reality TV shows.
Shown below are a few crawfish and crawfish boil photographs, and scenes from the home of the crawfish: The Louisiana Swamp. Enjoy! |
A sack of fresh, live The Louisiana Crawfish, right out of the swamp or off the crawfish farm!
Photographed and Copyright by the Author |
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Start gathering up the ingredients: Zatarain's Shrimp & Crab Boil, cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt, and the rest of the makings for the perfect crawfish boil!
Photographed and Copyright by the Author |
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Get those side food items ready to go" onions, potatoes, lemons and garlic
Photographed and Copyright by the Author |
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The Louisiana Crawfish, big and juicy, fresh out of the swamp!
Photographed and Copyright by the Author |
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Hold behind the head ... and you're safe!
Photographed and Copyright by the Author |
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Live Louisiana Crawfish, ready to be purged ... let the boil begin!
Photographed and Copyright by the Author |
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Let's get the boil under way ... Start with about 50 pounds of Spillway Crawfish, add salt, corn on the cob, new potatoes, whole onions, lemons, Zatarain's Crawfish, Shrimp and Crab Boil, red pepper, black pepper, garlic cloves ... make the hot sauce, warm up the buttered French bread, add cold beer, and share with good Cajun friends!
Photographed and Copyright by the Author |
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Purging underway, the butane burner is hot!
Photographed and Copyright by the Author |
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Atchafalaya Basin Crawfish ... boiled to perfection, seasoned just right.
Ready to eat after a few minutes in the boiler!
Photographed and Copyright by the Author |
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Boiled Louisiana crawfish, corn on the cob, and new potatoes, hot out of the boiler
Photographed and Copyright by the Author |
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Enjoying the ultimate Louisiana delicacy and tradition: boiled crawfish!
Photographed and Copyright by the Author |
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Sometimes we elect to boil fresh, large Louisiana Shrimp ... the procedure is similar, and the results are incredibly delicious!
Photographed and Copyright by the Author |
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And crawfish make a perfect addition to Louisiana seafood gumbo, along with shrimp, crab, okra and rice
Photographed and Copyright by the Author |
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An outdoor crawfish boil is not the only way we like to enjoy this delicacy. Shown here is a restaurant scene typical of the hundreds of restaurants all over Louisiana ... can you taste it?
Courtesy of the Louisiana Office of Tourism |
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Shop the Louisiana Destinations Lagniappe Store online
clothing, Louisiana cookbooks, spices, cooking utensils, Louisiana coffee, Louisiana gifts! |
Atchafalaya Swamp Scene in South Louisiana
Courtesy of the Louisiana Office of Tourism |
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Sunset in the beautiful Louisiana swamp
Courtesy of the Louisiana Office of Tourism |
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There are hundreds of recipes for boiling Louisiana crawfish, and thousands of variations. We've used one "recipe" for years, for decades actually. We fine tune it sometime, but it goes something like this...
Most live crawfish come in mesh bags of about 40-50 pounds. This recipe is for a smaller sack, about 28 pounds of crawfish – we split the bag into 2 batches, each about 14 pounds. Maximum capacity of our boiling pot (40qts) is about 14-15 pounds. Other pots are larger and can accommodate more crawfish. Each person typically can eat about 3-6 pounds of crawfish.
IMPORTANT NOTE: When starting, remember it can take up to 45 minutes to get first water boiling.
Step 1 – Measure the water level
½ bag crawfish into the boiling basket, add water to judge proper water level in pot (about half-way up) … move crawfish to a tub, or ice chest, for purging.
Step 2 – season water, bring to boil
Season water in pot:
• 1 box salt
• 4 bags of 3-oz Zatarin’s crawfish boil seasoning
• 1 4-oz bottle of Zatarins’ liquid crawfish seasoning
• 4 tablespoons red pepper
• 3 tablespoons black pepper
• 4 lemons
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 white onions
Bring water to a boil (may take up to 45 minutes)
Step 3 – purging the crawfish with saltwater (while also doing Step 2)
½ bag crawfish into tub for purging … rinse twice with fresh water, then add water and 1 box salt. Sit for 10 minutes, empty salt water, and rinse crawfish thoroughly. Some people do not purge with salt, but just do a couple thorough rinses with water.
Step 4 – cooking batch #1
Bring to a boil, add potatoes
Bring to boil, then boil 10 minutes
Add crawfish and corn, bring to boil, and boil 5 minutes
Turn off fire, let crawfish sit for 15 minutes
Move crawfish, potatoes and corn to ice-chests to keep warm
Step 5 – cooking batch #2
Re-season water…
• 1 box salt
• 4 bags of 3-oz Zatarin’s crawfish boil seasoning
• 1 4-oz bottle of Zatarins’ liquid crawfish seasoning
• 4 tablespoons red pepper
• 3 tablespoons black pepper
• 4 lemons
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 white onions
Bring to a boil, and add crawfish
Bring to boil, then boil 5 minutes
Turn off fire, let crawfish sit for 15 minutes
Move contents to ice-chests to keep warm.
Enjoy your Louisiana boiled crawfish!
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