How to Take the Poop Out of a Lobster

You may want to remove the digestive vein before eating a lobster tail.

Cracking open and eating a lobster can be a labor-intensive process, but the delicious meat makes it all worth it. Arguably, the tastiest part of a lobster is the tail meat; however, this part of the lobster's body is also where the digestive tract is located. While you won't experience any adverse effects from consuming the lobster tail with the digestive vein intact, it usually does not taste very good and as a result most diners prefer to remove it. Luckily, removing the vein takes only seconds.

Things You'll Need

• Fork

Instructions

1. Separate the tail from the rest of the body by bending the lobster's back until it cracks. Break the flippers off from the tail.

2. Insert a fork into the tail and push until the tail meat comes out all in one piece.

3. Locate the black vein in the tail, which is what contains the feces. Grasp the vein at the end where the tail originally met the body of the lobster and gently pull the vein away from the tail meat to remove it.

References

• Lobster Institute: Basics---How to Start
• Sagamore Lobster; 10 Things to Remember When Cooking Maine Lobster; July 2007