Lobster cooking
Discover Atlantic Canada’s best-kept secret as you experience our famous lobster-themed boat cruise.
The traditional way of cooking lobsters is to boil them.
What you need to cook lobster
- Live lobsters
- Water
- Salt
- Large pot
- Tongs or gloves
- Cold water
Step 1 - Let’s Get Boiling!
- In a large pot, measure enough water to cover all the lobsters you’re cooking.
- Bring the water to boil.
- Add approx. 100 ml of salt for each gallon of water used.
- Place lobsters in boiling water. (Leave rubber bands on claws if can’t use proper lobster handling gloves.)
- Wait for water to start boiling again before you time.
Boiling times
1 lb / 0.25 kg lobsters: (12-15 min.)
1½ – 2 lb / 0.45-0.91 kg lobsters: (15-20 min.)
2 – 4 lb / 0.91-1.8 kg lobsters: (20-25 min.)
4 – 6 lb / 1.8-2.7 kg lobsters: (25-28 min.)
8 lb or over / 3.62 kg & up: (4 min. / pound)
Freshly molted lobsters (softshells) boil 2–3 min. less.
Step 2 - Plunge into Cold for the Perfect Shell
- Once the lobsters are done boiling plunge them in cold water. Same salt content as the cooking. It will do two things: “Fringe” the meat from the shell and allows for a juicer lobster, making it easier to shell the meat out. (Add ice-cubes in the water. You want to go from hot to cold as fast as possible, for a good “Fringe”)
- Leave them in the cold water for about 10 min.
- Once out of the cold water, keep lobster on their back, belly-up, this will preserve the juices in the lobster much longer.
- Cooked lobsters will preserve in the fridge for at least 3 days after.
- The whole process goes a lot better when using a strainer to go from: Boiling, Fringing & Serving!
Step 3 - Enjoy
- Freshly cooked lobster served cold with butter & lemon juice: you can’t get better than that.
- Cooked lobster will preserve in the fridge for 2–3 days. It’s better when using a strainer to plunge & serve.
- Leave the meat in the lobster shell, this will preserve the juices much longer.
- Cooked lobster, served cold, tastes better. When using hot lobster, avoid the garlic butter — you’re just camouflaging the taste.
What’s the largest and oldest lobster ever caught?
Over
100 y/o
Weighed 44 pounds 6 ounces and measured 3 feet 6 inches in length.
How to tell when lobster is cooked
Try tugging on the antennae or legs — if they pull off easily, your lobster is done!
Cooked lobster meat should be firm, white, and not translucent.
Cooking time is determined by the size of each lobster, not their combined weight.
When in doubt, it’s better to slightly undercook than to overcook!
Cooked lobster meat should be firm, white, and not translucent.
Cooking time is determined by the size of each lobster, not their combined weight.
When in doubt, it’s better to slightly undercook than to overcook!
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