Picking blue crabs is something very special in Maryland

Its generally a family and friends gathering taking three hours or more

Fresh crabs are steamed with old bay seasoning and dumped whole onto a table covered in paper

Then the fun starts by pulling off the legs, peeling off the back and scraping away the intestines before picking out the sweet crabmeat chunks

A wooden mallet and a knife are the simple tools of the trade

Typically steamed crabs are consumed with fresh corn, hush puppies and fried chicken all washed down with copious amounts of cold beer

Its a summer tradition with local crabs being harvested from April to November

Local restaurants specialize in steamed crab feasts offering all you can eat options

Watermen sell steamed crab by the bushel for home consumption 

Its a real skill to extract the meat from a steamed crab but anybody can do it with practice

Holding up a fingernail size chunk brings admiration from your fellow diners as they pick away at tiny morsels of the sweet white crab meat

Its a hazardous activity as sharp crab edges easily cut fingers open letting that salty old bay spice rub into those open wounds for added pain

But the thrill of the chase and the group banter make it all worthwhile

You can take blue crabs out of Maryland but you can never take the blue crab picking out of a Marylander