How long does Crab meat last in the fridge?
Turning the range into a date
Crab meat (fresh) keeps 1–3 days in the fridge. Enter a day and each row becomes a calendar date, worked out in your browser.
Crab meat, fresh
- In the freezerBest quality by2 months to 4 months after the day you stored it
- In the fridgeUse by1 day to 3 days after the day you stored it
Crab meat, pasteurized
- From purchase · in the freezerBest quality by4 months to 10 months after the day you bought it
- From purchase · in the fridgeUse by10 months to 12 months after the day you bought it
- Once opened · in the fridgeUse by3 days to 5 days after the day you opened it
Every storage figure the USDA publishes for this item
USDA FoodKeeper lists 2 kinds under Crab meat.
Crab meat, fresh
- In the freezer2 months to 4 months
- In the fridge1 day to 3 days
Crab meat, pasteurized
- From purchase · in the freezer4 months to 10 months
- From purchase · in the fridge10 months to 12 months
- Once opened · in the fridge3 days to 5 days
Other foods on the same USDA shelf
- Shrimp, crayfish1–3 days in the fridge
- Squid1–3 days in the fridge
- Fresh lobster tails, cooked2–3 days in the fridge
- Lean fish1–2 days in the fridgecod, flounder, haddock, halibut, sole, etc.
- Fatty fish, bluefish, catfish, mackerel, mullet, salmon, tuna, etc.1–2 days in the fridge
- Cooked fish, all3–4 days in the fridge
Food safety rules that apply to every food
- Keep the refrigerator temperature at or below 40° F (4° C). The freezer temperature should be 0° F (-18° C).
- Never allow meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, or produce or other foods that require refrigeration to sit at room temperature for more than two hours—one hour if the air temperature is above 90° F.
- Though food will be safe indefinitely at 0° F, quality will decrease the longer the food is in the freezer.
- Never thaw food at room temperature, such as on the counter top. There are three safe ways to defrost food: in the refrigerator, in cold water, and in the microwave. Food thawed in cold water or in the microwave should be cooked immediately.
- Perishable foods should never be thawed on the counter, or in hot water and must not be left at room temperature for more than two hours.
- If you're not sure or if the food looks questionable, throw it out.
Sources: FDA: are you storing food safely · FDA: safe food handling · USDA FSIS: safe defrosting.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure and note on this page is reproduced from USDA FoodKeeper as published; the calendar date is the only arithmetic, and it runs in your browser.
Source: USDA FoodKeeper, retrieved 1 September 2026. A figure that does not match the source? Tell us. How the site is built.
The answer at the top is for Crab meat, fresh, the kind this site shows first; every kind the USDA lists under this name is printed with its own figures.
USDA index terms: crab, fresh, meat, pasteurized
KeepsUntil is an independent reference built on public USDA data. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Food and Drug Administration. Storage times are reproduced from USDA FoodKeeper as published; when in doubt, follow the FDA and USDA FSIS guidance linked on every food page.