Can You Kill the Lobster Before Boiling?

Boiled or steamed lobster is a delicacy across the world.

Lobster is commonly cooked by plunging the live animal into a pot of boiling water. Chilling the lobster before cooking it will also desensitize or kill the lobster humanely. If it is still alive after chilling, drive a knife through the lobster's brain before boiling.

Chill the Lobster

Whether from survival instinct or pain, the lobster usually thrashes its tail violently when plunged live into boiling water. This is not the most humane method of killing the lobster. Leave the live lobster in a container or drawer in your refrigerator overnight or up to 24 hours. This will either kill the lobster or desensitize it so it can be boiled directly or killed humanely with a knife. Place the lobster in the refrigerator on a damp paper bag or seaweed---not in water.

Quicker Chill

If you don't have overnight to wait, place the lobster in a paper bag in the freezer. This will desensitize the lobster in about 20 minutes, and kill the lobster in 30 to 60 minutes. Don't wait longer or you will start to freeze the lobster.

Coup de Grace

The quickest way to kill a lobster is to split its brain in half. Place the lobster on a cutting board. Place the tip of a knife on top of its head behind behind the eyes. Press the knife down to pin the lobster's head against the cutting board and plunge or pound the knife in one motion through the lobster's head. For larger lobsters, flip the lobster over and cut through the brain from between the front legs through the top of the head. The shell is not as hard on the bottom of the head.

Make Sure It's Dead

Rock the knife back and forth lengthwise to the body to make sure the brain is severed. Continue to cut down toward the front of the lobster through the head. The appendages may contract or squirm but at this point the lobster is dead and can be cooked.

Other Methods

You can also kill a lobster by placing it in cold fresh water, but this makes the lobster very uncomfortable and is probably the worst method to humanely kill a lobster. Lobsters need salt water to stay alive and will struggle to escape. Whatever way you use to kill the lobster, it is easiest to handle the lobster after it has either been chilled first.

References

• www.cooking-lobster.com: How to Kill a Live Lobster

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish