7 Lobster Questions You’re too Afraid to Ask
There is a lot of confusion to cooking lobsters. I put together this list of common questions you may have when cooking lobsters and followed it up with thorough research. I hope this helps answer a few questions!
Do you leave the rubber bands on while cooking lobsters?
A 1998 University of Maine study claims boiling rubber bands on a lobster does not affect the taste. It’s required for lobsterers to use FDA compliant rubber bands on the lobsters, which are food-safe for cooking. However, it’s best to be cautious and remove these bands before cooking a lobster.
There is always an off-chance that an improper band was used on a lobster claw. I’ve also heard complaints that boiling a rubber band will leave a bad smell in your lobster pot. Cooking rubber with your food can ruin one’s appetite, which is reason enough to remove rubber bands before cooking a lobster.
Be extra cautious when removing a band from a lobster’s claw. Their claws are strong and a pinch will hurt. Their claws have been banded for a long period of time, which will make lobsters slow to regain their ability to use their claw. Brady Brandwood raised a lobster from the grocery store as a pet, and it took several days for his lobster to use its claw again.
To avoid getting pinched, place lobsters in a bowl of ice water for a few minutes before removing their claws. The ice water will chill and possibly kill the lobster. It’s important that you cook the lobster directly after this to avoid ruining the meat.
How long can a lobster live out of water?
In a cold and moist setting, lobsters can survive out of water for more than two weeks. To achieve this, wrap a lobster in saltwater-soaked towels and place it in the meat-drawer of your refrigerator. The cold and moist conditions will slow a lobster’s metabolism, keeping it alive out of water.
Diane Cowan, a scientist and founder of the Lobster Conservatory, explained in a NY Times article that lobsters under these circumstances can survive out of water for even longer than two weeks. Fishermen report lobsters surviving the winter in coolers in sheds for several months. This is made possible from the cooler temperatures slowing the lobster’s metabolism, and the damp towels providing moisture for the lobster’s gills located in the “branchial chambers through openings between the thoracic legs” (Source).
Every few days, the towels should be dampened to stay moist. The lobsters should never be submerged in standing water or wrapped in a dripping wet towel. They will extract the oxygen from the water and suffocate. They should also not be placed in an air-tight container. They still need access to fresh air.
How do grocery stores package live lobsters?
A lobster purchased at the grocery store will have rubber bands around its claws, be wrapped in newspaper, and placed in a paper bag. This will keep your lobster moist and allow proper airflow on your trip from the grocery store to your refrigerator.
This is a temporary storage solution for lobsters. Once you make it home, you will need to replace the newspaper with a damp towel or paper towels before placing it in your fridge. This will keep your lobster alive for days at a time until you cook it. If you are unable to serve lobster for longer than that, I recommend reading my article: Freezing Live Lobster is a Terrible Idea. Do this instead! to learn how to preserve lobster for up to a year.
If you buy lobster at the supermarket, will they cook it for you?
For a small fee, some grocery stores will steam a lobster for you after your purchase it. Ask an employee seafood section next time you head to the store to see if they offers this service. This will be a convenient option, but may sacrifice taste as lobster tastes best right after being cooked.
Another setback with this option is that they may steam the lobster with the rubber band left on its claw. Knowledge of this fact can ruin the taste of a lobster for some. However, the University of Maine found in a 1998 study that this does not affect the taste and may be a result of a placebo. Regardless, you’ll know exactly how the lobster’s cooked if you do it yourself.
If you’re the type of person to be squeamish at killing a live animal before eating it, this may be the best option for you. Even better, you may decide that a lobster tail be less gruesome.
Do grocery stores feed lobsters in tanks?
Grocery stores do not feed lobsters placed in a tank. They lower the temperature of the water to reduce lobster activity and aerirodate the water to preserve the lobsters as long as possible. As a result, lobsters do not last long in a tank and are discarded when they die.
If grocery stores were to feed lobsters, they would have to remove the rubber bands on their claws. Lobsters use claws to pick apart their food when they eat. This may lead to aggression between lobsters in their stressful environment. It’s just simpler to not feed the lobsters.
Will live lobsters move around in the fridge?
Properly stored lobsters kept a refrigeration temperature of below 40° F will slow in activity and not move around your refrigerator. Wrap a lobster in damp paper towels to keep it moist and place it in the meat-drawer of your fridge. This will contain the lobster, yet allow for proper airflow.
As a double measure, place the wrapped lobster in a brown paper bag. The bag will dampen and fall apart, but it’s another non-air-tight option for keeping lobsters in one spot. As long as your fridge stays cold, the lobsters will not move around at all.
Do your store live lobsters in water?
Lobsters stored in standing water will deplete the oxygen from the water, causing the lobster to suffocate. Worse off, the lobster will be harmed due to the lack of salt in the water. Instead of a container of water, wrap the lobster in a damp towel to keep its gills moist and allow it to breathe.
Works Cited
CBC News cites Lobster Institute study on keeping rubber bands on while cooking – umaine news – university of Maine. UMaine News. (2015, December 31). Retrieved December 29, 2022, from https://umaine.edu/news/blog/2015/12/31/cbc-news-cites-lobster-institute-study-on-keeping-rubber-bands-on-while-cooking/
Lobster and crab rubber bands. Alliance Rubber Company. (2022, September 21). Retrieved December 29, 2022, from https://www.rubberband.com/product/lobster-and-crab-rubber-bands/#:~:text=Different%20bands%20are%20often%20used,while%20maintaining%20strength%20and%20stretch.
Ray, C. C. (2012, October 22). Long-distance lobsters. The New York Times. Retrieved December 29, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/23/science/how-do-lobsters-survive-outside-water.html
Russell, C. (2021, May 19). Silicone rubber bands are 1000x more useful in the kitchen than regular rubber bands. Bon Appétit. Retrieved December 29, 2022, from https://www.bonappetit.com/story/silicone-cooking-bands#:~:text=%E2%80%9CRubber%E2%80%9D%20bands%20can%20be%20made,not%20safe%20to%20cook%20with.
