re: New to me crawfish boiling method

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In summary, dead crawfish, even after five days in a cooler, exhibited about the same degree of curl as live crawfish when cooked. Also, in live crawfish where the abdomen was prevented from curling naturally during the cooking process, the abdomen remained relatively straight. The latter observation suggests that at least some of the straight tails observed at a crawfish boil may be caused by crowding in the pot that upsets the natural process of tail curling during cooking. To verify the effects of crowding, live crawfish were intentionally crowded in a beaker of boiling water and boiled for 10 minutes. The results were several individuals displaying less-thantightly curled abdomens. Therefore, this study suggests that the age-old adage of avoiding straight-tailed crawfish at a crawfish boil, as a means of ensuring safety and quality, may not be reliable and certainly has little to do with the living status of the animal at the time of cooking

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