How to extend the life of a live Maine lobster Blog image by Get Maine Lobster

How to extend the life of a live Maine lobster

Your dinner party is on a Monday, but, you fly in your lobsters for Friday? How the heck do you keep those lobsters alive for 3 days?

Answer: You don’t 👉 You “BLANCH” them.

Blanching is what the fancy restaurants do to decrease the “shrink” of their lobsters. Shrink is a term used to describe the product that you have to throw away because of spoilage. Thanks to some genius chefs, there is a way to make your whole live Maine lobsters last more than 3 days and still taste like it just came out of the ocean.

Blanching is easy:

  • Boil water: add 1 tablespoon of sea salt per 2 quarts of water.
  • Place lobsters in boiling water. Best to do 2 at a time for optimal blanching.
  • Cook for 2 minutes ⏲. This is just enough time for the lobster meat to slightly cook and separate from the shell.
  • Set up an ice bath for the lobsters.
  • After 2 minutes of cooking, place lobsters in ice bath for 10 minutes.

Then, depending upon when you want to serve your lobsters:

  • Within 48 hours 👉🏼 wrap in kitchen towels 👉🏼 place in fridge
  • Post 48 hours – 3 weeks 👉🏼 wrap and freeze. 👉🏼 Slow-thaw in refrigerator for 24 hours before preparing.

When you're ready to cook and serve, CLICK HERE for 4 Ways To Cook Lobsters >

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