Why do we boil Lobsters Live

[CrewePD210]

I know with live blue crabs, they are often immersed in ice water to knock them out prior to cooking. Blue crab claws taste much better than lobster to me, but a lot of work for little reward.

I used to work in a crab house in Hampton VA, and they may have put live crabs into a cooler for holding, but then they went into the steamers in 4x4 stainless cubes on wheels to be cooked. Almost always 100% alive and kicking.

 

[DeepDiver55]

During my SCUBA days, into the freezer they went. On occasion into the boiling water they went

 

[Stomatopods17]

Crabs and shrimp have it worse, for crabs you need to cut off their face for them to actually 'die' humanely. Ripping them to pieces doesn't do it fast enough. Shrimp there is no efficient way to do it and in some countries its actually a common street food to eat them raw and alive in a bowl with sauce/alcohol on them, that particular dish is called 'jumping shrimp' or 'dancing shrimp', squid go through this as well where they're throw in a bowl alive, alcohol is poured on them, and you eat raw.

Lobsters their anatomy just makes it tricky, you have to knife from behind the head and quickly slam it down fowards, if you're not using sharp tools or strong this can be slower than it needs to be but it is the most immediate kill if you can. Yes there's a nerve that runs down, but all you want is the animal to not be conscious. Some parts of the world actually illegalize killing them any other method in restaurants so chefs learned how to do it quick.

Personally I love seafood but will exclusively purchase frozen from the grocery store, I just wish there was more meat on cold lobster tails, it feels more complimentary to a steak than a main course with how little there is for the work involved. I did once make the almost-fatal mistake of keeping a cold lobster tail in the fridge for a couple days and then cooking it, I was not aware lobster tails had to be from store to oven else they spoil, I'm glad I just had an upset stomache for a couple days and didn't really register I gave myself food poisoning.

 

[AydenLincoln]

I love lobsters and using a knife before it goes into the pot is a much quicker and more humane way I think than boiling it alive! Plus it won’t splash boiling water everywhere as it thrashes around.

 

[Paul B]

Dont do it like this guy

 

[redfishbluefish]

You guys are talking Northern lobsters....the ones with claws. I've caught and cooked my fair share for the kids and wife.....not a big fan....too much work. However, I went to school in Florida and we caught so many spiny lobsters (no claws) and cooked it every which way you could imagine, I was sick of lobster. Anyway, with spiny lobsters you "ring" them...while alive. We typically did this at the dock where you grab the carapace with one hand and the tail with the other and give it a quick twisting back and forth while lightly pulling on the tail. The head portion gets thrown back into the water and the tail is what you keep to cook.

 

[Evil1]

It seems, according to the video I linked, that it takes 3 seconds for them to die in boiling water and that is too long for some people.


Also, it says that doesn't kill them because their nervous system runs all along the creature, right to its tail. I also like to put them in cold fresh water in the freezer for a half hour or so to kill them, then I grill them.

Grilled lobster, or almost anything else tastes better than boiled. Lobsters don't have much taste anyway and boiling doesn't help. Either way, I am not a fan.

Nothing like stuffed lobster tails on Christmas Eve! Mmmmmm!!!