As long as you have a large enough steamer pot, you can steam your own lobsters successfully, every time. It’s easy. Why not try it?

Lobsters + Clams

4 Stars

Forks + Crackers

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4 Lobster Plates
Oval Plates

First, ensure you have fresh live lobsters, lobsters that have not been sitting in a tank for too long. You can do this by choosing a place that has a high turnover rate for lobsters and seafood in general. A good, roadside fish shack is typically a better choice than a large chain grocery store.

Second, keep the lobsters cold in the refrigerator. Be sure to keep their bag open so that they can continue to breathe. Keep in mind that the lobsters should be prepared within 24 hours or less. Within the same day is best. Therefore, please plan accordingly.

Next, when you are ready to prepare the lobsters, fill a large steamer pot up to about 2 to 3 inches from the bottom with water suitable for drinking. Bring the water to a heavy boil. Once the water is boiling, gently lower each lobster in one at a time and cover. Note, remove the rubber bands around each front claw or the
water will take on a rubber taste. Be careful and don’t get pinched!

Now, this is the main important part. You have to know how long to steam a lobster. If you steam it for too long, the meat will be rubbery, chewy and will have lost flavor. If you don’t steam a lobster long enough, it won’t be cooked through completely, and therefore, will also be too chewy. So, know that lobsters are steamed at 13 minutes per pound. For each additional pound, steam for 3 minutes more. For example, if you are steaming a 1 ½ pond lobster, you would let it steam for 14 ½ minutes. A 2 pound lobster would steam for a total of 16 minutes.

Once the lobsters are finished cooking, you will notice that the water will all of a sudden rise and almost bubble over. This is a second confirmation that the lobsters are ready to come out of the steam bath.

After the lobsters have steamed, serve each on a large plate per person and offer utensils that make it easiest to crack into the shell. A helpful tip is to also make a small slit on the underside of each shell so that some of the water drains out before serving. If you don’t, everyone’s plate will end up as a watery mess within a minute of digging in. That’s it! Enjoy your fresh steamed lobsters.

Lastly, please know that in my experience, one does not hear lobsters screaming or thrashing around if prepared through steaming.

image credit – photo by melaniekaren