Crayfish

Cancer – a backboneless animal from a class Crustacea. The body of cancer consists of a cephalothorax and a flat abdomen. The cephalothorax is divided into two parts – head (front) and back (chest) which grow together among themselves. In a head part there is an acute thorn. On each side a thorn prominent eyes, and in front – four thin short moustaches, two short and two long are placed. Cancer uses claws for attack and protection.

The flat jointed abdomen of a crawfish consists of seven joints. Five pairs of extremities depart from an abdomen of this armor-clad fresh-water, each of which consists of two branches. Cancer uses extremities for swimming, and the largest, first pair of extremities, forms claws. Cancer uses claws for attack and protection. The claws lost by cancer, short moustaches, legs can grow again. The tail fin at it is formed by the sixth and seventh pairs of belly legs. Males of crayfish are much larger than females.

Cancer can change the coloring, depending on a habital and properties of water. Usually their color brownish-greenish, issinya-brown or greenish-brown.

Fresh-water crayfish live in reservoirs. They meet in lakes, the rivers, ponds, streams, in fresh water (depth up to five meters, hollows to twelve meters). In the afternoon crayfish hide in shelters at the bottom – in holes, under various roots, stones. They dig holes 30-35 centimeters long. Crayfish protect shelters from other fresh-water. In the winter crayfish live at a depth, in sandy or clay soil, and move in shallow water in the summer.

Meat of crayfish white, with rare pink streaks. Crawfishes in May, June, and August are especially juicy and tasty. In July they begin a molt - the process which is followed for these fresh-water by the painful phenomena. Crayfish during a molt become tasteless and cachetic.

Three types of cancer – tolstopaly, long-skirted and wide-brimmed are most widespread. Dlinnopaly cancer meets more often other types as it is less exacting to dwelling conditions.

Nutrition value and caloric content of crayfish

Hundred grams of meat of crawfishes contain 83 g of water, 16 g of proteins, 1 g of fats, 0,2 g of saturated fatty acids, 1,34 g of ashes, 135 mg of cholesterol, and also 16 mkg of vitamin A, 0,07 mg of B1 vitamin, 0,032 mg of B2 vitamin, 2 mg of RR vitamin, 0,5 mg of B5 vitamin, 0,108 mg of B6 vitamin, 37 mkg of folic acid, 2 mkg of B12 vitamin, 1 mg of vitamin C, 3 mg of vitamin E, 5 mkg of vitamin D, 0,1 mkg of vitamin K and 81 mg of sincaline.

Its meat contains 302 mg of potassium, 27 mg of calcium, 27 mg of magnesium, 58 mg of sodium, 256 mg of phosphorus, 0,84 mg of iron, 226 mg of manganese, 419 mkg of copper, 1,3 mg of zinc and 31,6 mkg of selenium.

Caloric content of crayfish – about 80 kcal on 100 g of meat.

Useful properties of crayfish

Useful properties of crawfishes are caused by contents in them a large amount of digestible protein and components, useful to an organism. The greatest number of nutritious meat contains in an abdomen of an invertebrate. A small amount of useful pulp is also in its claws.

Caloric content of crayfish is low therefore their meat is considered to be a high-quality dietary product.

It is very useful to use crayfish at weakness of vessels and heart failure, at diseases of a pancreas and kidneys, at a radial illness, and also after radiation therapy. Their pulp promotes clarification of a liver and biliary tract. The regular use of meat of crawfishes stimulates work of digestive organs, strengthens immunity, improves health and eliminates stress effects.

The chitinous cover of invertebrates contains biologically active agents having the excellent antiseptic and healing properties. These substances are capable to start process of an angenesis in a human body. In ancient times physicians dried up an armor and used and prepared from it powder. They strewed with this powder wounds of different depth then they quickly began to live. Spirit tincture on the basis of such powder helps to saturate an organism with calcium, and also considerably accelerates process of an angenesis after operations on removal of malignant new growths. Besides, cancer is capable to rassasyvat the hardened tumor if to put it to it.

Pulp of crayfish contains a hundred times more organic iodine, than in beef. For this reason the regular use of pulp of these invertebrates reduces risk of development of diseases of a thyroid gland.

At the time of Avicenna these animals were used for treatment of diseases of a spleen. The prepared powder from the dried-up cancer was mixed with the one sixth part of balzamovy oil or opium and applied as grinding.

Directions of use of crayfish

Rakov it is necessary to cook in the added some salt water, adding to it dried or fresh greens and spices. After cooking its meat is condensed and easily lags behind an armor. Duration of their preparation fluctuates of 15 minutes before half an hour, depending on the sizes of an invertebrate. Ready crawfishes change color and become red as when heating communication of carotinoids with proteins of an armor collapses. The liver of these invertebrates can be eaten too.

In the different countries tastes of these animals depend on a way of preparation. In France with already ready crayfish it is accepted to add a glass of red wine to water, and Sweden adds sugar instead of salt to water.

From crayfish quite often cook soup, and also use them as a basis for preparation of various snack, salads.

Storage conditions of crayfish

It is necessary to store live crayfish in the refrigerator no more than three days. No more than three days are recommended to store boiled crayfish in water in which they were boiled.

The frozen crayfish are stored no more than a month.

Crayfish – harm and contraindications

Crayfish can do harm to health of the person if there is an allergy to fish products. Also meat of these invertebrates is contraindicated at individual intolerance.

Not to do harm, crayfish should not be stored in metal ware. Because of a large amount of sulfur its meat can turn black and deteriorate very quickly. For storage of crayfish it is necessary to use only glasswares.