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Crazy for crawfish? Season gets off to early start

Groomer's Seafood stocks up early

SAN ANTONIO – This holiday season you can have a rare dish at your table: crawfish.

Live Lousiana crawfish are now available at Groomer’s Seafood in San Antonio. The crustaceans are in the same family as lobsters, crabs and shrimp.

During the beginning of the season they’re usually smaller, older and more expensive.

That’s not the case this year.

“This year, we had a lot of rain. It’s gone into the levees, pushed crawfish out of the boroughs early,” Groomer’s Seafood president Richard Groomer said. “We kind of have warm weather, so that helps as well. I haven’t seen it this early in at least 10-15 years.”

The retailer waited to post availability on their Facebook page Friday until they checked the quality. Once they did, people looking to do holiday boils quickly visited the market. Groomer’s expected to sell the full shipment of 600 pounds at $4.49/lb. by lunchtime.

Mudbugs normally aren’t seen until Mardi Gras or Super Bowl time.

Whether you’re looking to make gumbo, etouffee, jambalaya or Cajun pasta, know you can do it with fresh instead of frozen crawfish tails this year.

If you love crawfish, you’ll be happy to hear they are high in vitamins and minerals, according to a report by the Southern Regional Aquaculture Center. They can be included in the diets of those concerned about cholesterol, fat or calories as long as not too many corn and potatoes are included, too.

For availability at Groomer’s, check their Facebook page or call 210-377-0951.


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