I’ve got all of the instructions and timetables for steaming live lobsters. I’ve got Jasper White’s Lobster at Home. But I need a more accurate way to know whether my steamed lobster is really done because so many times I crack it open and find it’s underdone. Can I stick an instant-read thermometer in somewhere to determine doneness? If so, where and to what temp? Online I’ve found recommendations that range from 140º to 180º. Or is there another way to know for sure that it’s cooked just right? Thanks!
I hope somebody knows the answer here, lobster is rare and pricey where I live, and one of the things that keeps me from buying it is the thought that I may ruin it and I couldn’t live with that shame.
Lobster is on sale here in PA this weekend for $6.99/lb. Time to get the steamer pot and outdoor gas burner dusted off.
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Here’s the secret: As soon as you see the white matter come floating up (approx. 15 minutes) stick a fork in it because it’s done!
Of course, this would be the weekend that I am eating out every meal today and then leaving town tomorrow at 7 AM! Maybe I can buy a couple of lobsters and keep them in my bathtub until I come home next Friday 
Pick one up from the pot by its feeler. If the feeler comes off, lobster is done. Been eating and cooking lobsters for 66 yrs. don’t care for them after they have been in the tanks, circulating water or not, they taste funky to me.
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Hi TM! I just got back from shopping at the Acme (your favorite!) and I’ve got to say I was disappointed in the lobsters. They were really small – I didn’t see anything over 1.13 pounds. But, today’s the day for cooking out so I bought more than I thought I needed and if there’s anything left over it’ll go into a salad for tomorrow (or maybe an omelette for breakfast).
Hope you’re headed someplace fun!
Elsieb – I’d prefer them just pulled from a lobster pot, but when you live in PA, they’re almost always pulled from a tank. I’ll have to wait until September, when we’ll be spending a week in Maine, to get them fresh off the boat.
that’s if you’re boiling them, i guess.
here’s steaming instructions. begin with 8 minutes for the first pound and then add about 2 minutes for each additional quarter pound.
just like with meat there will be carry-over cooking time.
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Put an instant read thermometer into the tail where it meets the body. (Off the steam, of course). Look for 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
I would be inclined to go with the lower end of that range in the tail, especially if you’re taking the temp as soon as you get them off the heat. There will definitely be carryover cooking. If you find the meat underdone when you break into the lobster, you can always throw the claws and tail into a skillet for a few extra minutes of cooking, or re-steam for a few minutes. I prefer lobster cooked until JUST opaque throughout.
I’m just old fashioned I guess.
They will die in fresh water. Might not be nice to come home to.
it was a joke…
Indeed it was…someone needs an emoticon lesson!
