While the frequency of crawfish boils doesn’t normally pick up until after Mardi Gras, the season is already well underway. Odds are you’ve already squeezed the tails and sucked the heads on a few good-sized crawfish in 2020.
Many farmers are citing the warmer winter weather with fewer cold snaps and plentiful rain as reasons the crawfish supply looks to be strong this year. And a bountiful crop means lower prices at restaurants and boilers.
Right now on The Crawfish App, live crawfish are selling at around $2.99 per pound at places like Pit-N-Peel and Rouses. Boiled crawfish are going for around $4.99 per pound at Boil & Roux, Capital City Crawfish, LA Boilers, Tony’s Seafood and others.
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According to WBRZ, prices this time last year on its Crawfish Price Index saw the average crawfish cost dip slightly from $6 to $5.22. Its average estimated price for boiled crawfish this week is $5.07.
Will Boutte of Capital City Crawfish in Mid City told The Shreveport Times Feb. 8 that he’s anticipating prices to be the lowest in about eight years. “A year ago, we were selling 60 to 80 sacks of crawfish a week,” he tells the newspaper. “This year, live and boiled, we are selling about 250 sacks a week. We’re off to a real good start.”
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And it looks to only get better as long as the weather stays mild. Traditionally, prices continue to dip in late February and all through March leading up to Easter as crawfish boils become more frequent.
But our advice: Get your hands on some spicy crawfish while the prices are good. You never know what Louisiana’s fickle winter weather might throw your way in early spring.
Got some favorite spots for boiled crawfish in the Capital Region right now? Let us know about them in the comments!