Proper Handling

• Frozen crab that has been thawed and cooked to a safe internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit is safe to refreeze in a freezer set to 0 F and below. Once you're ready to use it again, thaw the cooked crab in the refrigerator and reheat it to an internal temperature of 165 F and enjoy. If any crab is left after reheating, pop it back in the freezer for another time. It is also OK to thaw raw, frozen crab meat in the refrigerator and refreeze without cooking it first.

Time Factors

• Raw or cooked, king crab requires refrigeration after two hours of sitting out in temperatures above 40 F -- one hour in temperatures of 90 F and above. Do not eat, cook, reheat, refrigerate or refreeze the crab after the two-hour time span. Bacteria naturally found on the crab may grow to dangerous levels after this time, causing foodborne illness if consumed. To be on the safe side, discard the crab.

Quality Issues

• Once frozen, king crab remains safe to eat for an indefinite amount of time. Although freezing doesn't kill dangerous bacteria on the meat, it does halt its growth. Safety aside, however, the process of freezing and thawing negatively does affect the quality of the king crab meat. Because of the delicate nature of crab meat, taste and texture begin to diminish after approximately three months in the freezer. Repeated freezing sessions cause even further deterioration of the crab meat.

Freezer Preparations

• Refreeze king crab meat as soon as possible after cooking. Refrigerated must be frozen within two days to prevent spoilage. Freezer bags work well for freezing and refreezing king crab because they protect the meat and allow plenty of room for the expansion the occurs during the freezing process. Attach a label or piece of masking tape to the freezer bag and write the date, contents and portion sizes using a waterproof marker.