Note our tips for storing lobsters apply mostly to hard-shell lobsters. My Maine Lobsters Just Arrived at My Doorstep — Now What? How to Hold a Lobster without Getting Pinched! My Lobsters how to cook frozen mussels without shells not Moving or are Damaged?
How long Can You Store and Keep Live Lobsters Before Cooking? Quick FAQs on How to Handle Live Lobsters. Your hand-selected lobsters are packed live with seawater-soaked newsprint or fresh seaweed to keep them moist, and frozen ice gels to keep them cold. Lobsters are shipped in extra thick insulated cooler. Learn more about how lobsters are shipped to you, plus our delivery costs.
DO NOT freeze live seafood: live lobster, mussels, oysters, steamers. Do not put lobsters in your aquarium or see if he can swim in the pool. The colder the lobster is, the lobster will become sluggish and won’t move around a lot. Don’t put them in your freezer. Keep lobsters moist with wet newspaper or seaweed that it was packed in.
A dry lobster is an unhappy lobster. It’s best to cook lobsters the day they’re delivered. See below if you cannot cook your lobsters right away. Store lobsters in a strong paper bag or right in the lobster pot if you were lucky to receive one. When transferring lobsters, pick them up by the body, not the claws or the tail. The lobster may wave its claws, flex its tail, or display only the slightest movement. Please see our Happy Cracking Guarantee.
Lobsters will come to you with heavy rubber bands on their claws. The fisherman put those on as soon as the lobsters are removed from their traps. These bands are to protect the lobsters from damaging each other. First things first, keep the bands on the claws! It’s up for debate of whether to take the bands off the lobster before cooking.
In the unlikely event that a lobster has died, it is usually acceptable to cook if it is still cold to the touch and if the other lobsters in the shipment are still alive. The tail of the lobster is the best indicator of its freshness: it should curl under the body and be somewhat firm not watery or mushy when cooked. Once your live lobster arrives how long can you keep it before it needs to be cooked? What if you cannot cook your lobsters the same day?
Our lobsters are very hardy and have been know to last up to 36 hours out of sea water, but we cannot guarantee it. We always suggest cooking your lobsters the day they are delivered. You can store live lobsters overnight, one night, in your refrigerator. Keep them upright, moist, and cold and you’re good to go!