How Long To Cook Lobsters Live
This puts a lobster to sleep before it actually dies.
How long to cook lobsters live. Poundage is per lobster not total lobster poundage in the pot the lobster is done when the shell color has changed from dark brown to bright red. Remove them from the pot and set them on a plate on their backs to dry and cool. A trick to tell if your lobster is done is to pull on one of the antenna.
Lobster quality is at its best if it s alive at purchase and cooked the same day. Many markets and grocery stores have live lobsters available or there are mail order businesses that will ship live lobster to your door. This way there is no way a lobster could feel pain.
Bring the water to a rolling boil and put in lobsters one at a time. This keeps the juices in the lobsters. Place lobsters in the pot head first cover tightly return to a boil as quickly as possible and start counting the time.
If you wish to butterfly a lobster tail this would be the time to separate your tail. Bring water to a rolling boil over high heat. One pound lobsters should cook for about 15 minutes 1 pound lobsters for 20 minutes and 2 pound lobsters for 25 minutes.
How to prepare lobster the kindest way to dispatch a live lobster is to use a sturdy sharp knife and push the tip firmly and quickly through the centre of the cross on its head making sure the blade side is directed towards the tail this should kill it instantly. Keep live lobsters in the fridge wrapped in a damp cloth and always cook on the day of purchase. Since this article s original publish date it s been announced by the rspca that standards on how to humanely kill a lobster have changed.
Before you begin cooking any live lobster please place the lobsters in the freezer for 10 20 minutes to kill the lobsters humanely. The lobsters are finished cooking when their shells have turned bright red.