ChefTalk.com › ChefTalk Cooking Forums › Food and Cooking Forums › Food & Cooking Questions and Discussion › PLEASE HELP! LIVE LOBSTERS - Throw them away?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

PLEASE HELP! LIVE LOBSTERS - Throw them away?

post #1 of 12
2/8/12 at 10:13pm
Thread Starter 

Thanks so much for your attention!  Hoping you can advise me on my live lobsters.  I bought live lobsters at 11am on Tuesday in Rhode Island.  

 

They packed them in paper bags and ice bags and I put them in an insulated bag and flew home to Colorado.  Once home my husband said to put them in a cooler and put the cooler outside on the back deck (18 degrees out).  Its now Wednesday night and I just Googled ideas on how to cook them.  I now realize they should have been in the refrigerator!!  I just now put them in there.  The temp did not get above 30 today where I live.. but they were in a cooler with a lid!  

 

I WAS planning on a lobster dinner for friends on Friday night. I'm now reading there is no way that will work.  So right now it is Wednesday night at 11pm.  I can't cook them right now!  The soonest I can cook them might be Thursday around 3.  Does it even matter?  Have I missed my opportunity?  Do I have to throw them away?  Thanks 

Reply
post #2 of 12
2/8/12 at 10:23pm

Assuming they're still alive, how do they look?

Reply
post #3 of 12
2/9/12 at 4:18am
Thread Starter 

I'm about to take them out of the packaging they are in right now.  WIll post info in a minute... thanks

Reply
post #4 of 12
2/9/12 at 4:25am
Thread Starter 

OMG They are sooo resilient !

Ok.. they seem to be moving around a bit.

Now what?

Its 5:25 am and I have zero spices and have to get ready for a job interview (computing not culinary).

 

Can I put them back in the refrigerator?

Reply
post #5 of 12
2/9/12 at 4:39am
Thread Starter 

OK they are waking up. I put them back in the refrigerator, still with a bit of the brown paper bag covering them, in a deep pan.  I put the ice packs on the top of them.

Reply
post #6 of 12
2/9/12 at 6:46am

Moving to Food Discussion. not a pro topic.

Reply
post #7 of 12
2/9/12 at 7:14am

Boil them now.

Reply
post #8 of 12
2/9/12 at 4:55pm

Short answer: If they are dead, throw them away. If they are live, you can use them.

 

Long answer: If they're alive, keep them damp (damp seaweed, damp paper bag, something like that), keep them cool (not frozen, but fridge is fine). Ideally, live lobsters should be frisky: if you pick them up by the middle section (the main section right behind the eyes), they should wave their claws and little legs around and really look like they want a piece of you. If they're sulky and won't move much, see whether they perk up by letting them walk around in the sink with an occasional sprinkling of cold water. (Do NOT submerge them in fresh water, or they will drown.) If they don't seem all that perky no matter what you do, cook them ASAP and either serve them cold or else do a classic two-stage lobster preparation (e.g. lobster Neuberg, Thermidor, etc.). In the latter case, you're going to blanch them for three minutes or so in rapidly boiling water, which kills them and sets the flesh, and then you'll strip the meat out of the shells. The shells are used to make a stock, the tomalley and roe (if any) are used to thicken a sauce at the last minute, and the meat is sauteed with vegetables and wine and such. There are many variations on this theme, and they are rather more forgiving with fresh but non-frisky lobster than is the purist boiled/steamed lobster with drawn butter.

Reply
post #9 of 12
2/10/12 at 12:16pm

fresh but not frisky.....biggrin.gifrolleyes.gif   thanks for the smile Chris

Reply
post #10 of 12
2/10/12 at 2:52pm

LOL at perky lobsters, you're an ace Chris.

Reply
post #11 of 12
2/12/12 at 10:17pm

lol pets

Reply
post #12 of 12
2/12/12 at 10:46pm

It"s after fri. night... Case closed...

Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
ChefTalk.com › ChefTalk Cooking Forums › Food and Cooking Forums › Food & Cooking Questions and Discussion › PLEASE HELP! LIVE LOBSTERS - Throw them away?