Can You Freeze Lobster?: Lobster is a delicious item served both in fine dining establishments and in classic backyard cookouts, demonstrating the diversity of this particular delicacy. Lobsters can be served boiled or steamed in their shell and are often caught and cooked on the same day in order to maintain their edibility as much as possible.
Like most other forms of seafood, if lobster is left in improper conditions for too long, it may experience the growth of bacteria and fungi, which produce potentially harmful compounds if eaten by humans. So how do you preserve lobsters for longer durations? Can you freeze lobsters? In order to avoid spoilage, it is not uncommon to find fishermen and grocery stores freezing lobster to preserve it.
- Can You Freeze Lobster?
- How To Freeze Lobster?
- How Long Can You Freeze Lobster?
- Tips To Freeze Lobster Properly
- How To Thaw Lobster?
- Can You Refreeze Lobster?
- Does Lobster Freeze Well?
- Is it better to buy fresh or frozen lobster?
- Can You Freeze Lobster Bisque?
- Is it OK to boil a frozen lobster?
- Can You Freeze Uncooked Lobster?
- Is it better to steam or boil frozen lobsters?
- Does frozen lobster smell?
- How long is frozen lobster good after thawing?
Can You Freeze Lobster?
Yes, you can definitely freeze lobster. Whether cooked or uncooked, lobster can be frozen for up to 3 months. It’s best to freeze the lobster after cooking, as uncooked meat will compress in its shell.
If required, you may cut the lobster and discard the inedible portions of its body. You can also leave the lobster’s meat within its shell, as this will help protect it from the degrading effects of freezing temperatures. We’ll see more on the lobster freezing process in the next section.
How To Freeze Lobster?
It is best advised to freeze lobster while it is still raw, as cooked lobster meat does not hold up well to the rigors of freezing. In this section, we will focus mainly on freezing uncooked lobster still present in its shell. Let’s find out how:
Step 1
Start by thoroughly rinsing your lobster under a running tap of cold water. This is to ensure that no dirt or debris from the sea or market makes its way into your freezer, potentially causing spoilage.
Step 2
Once cleaned, dry the lobster with a dish towel. Excess water present on the surface of the lobster can form ice crystals once placed in the freezer, which may make it more difficult to defrost at a later time.
Step 3
Get a roll of aluminum foil, and wrap the lobster twice in alternating directions, crinkling the foil in areas that leave parts of the lobster shell exposed to the open air. This aluminum foil will act both as the first line of defense against freezer burn as well as a cover for the lobster’s own smells and moisture.
Step 4
Now wrap your lobster once more, but this time with plastic cling wrap. Make sure that the cling wrap is not pierced by the spiny outcroppings of the lobster’s shell. It is recommended to wrap the lobster in multiple layers of plastic in order to cover all possible angles.
Step 5
After wrapping the lobster in both plastic and aluminum foil, place it in the deepest part of your freezer, far from any freezer vents or fans that will cause rapid deterioration of the lobster’s quality.
How Long Can You Freeze Lobster?
You can freeze lobster for about 3 months. Some sources might tell you that it’s safe to freeze lobster for longer than this, but we would avoid doing so. This is because the longer you leave the lobster in the freezer, the more the taste and texture of the meat diminish.
To get the best quality by using the lobster within a three-month time period is a smart move. Always remember that you should freeze your lobster as quickly as you can after freezing it, as this ensures it will taste great when you come to thaw it.
| Lobster | Shelf Life |
| In the freezer | 3 months |
Tips To Freeze Lobster Properly
Check out the following tips to freeze your lobster in the best possible manner:
It’s not good for your health if you freeze meat from a lobster that has been dead for longer than two hours. This is because bacteria and toxins can start spreading through the meat.
It’s always a good idea to remove the meat from the lobster’s shell before freezing it. This is mainly from a convenience perspective, as things get messy really quickly if you try to freeze cooked lobster in its shell. Thus, spend a few minutes removing the meat you want to freeze before bagging it up.
Freezing lobster in milk is a great way to reduce the impacts of freezer burn, and it keeps the meat moist and delicious. It can also add a creamy texture to the lobster, which is ideal for making soups, stews, and broths.
How To Thaw Lobster?
Defrosting or otherwise thawing the frozen lobster may take up to twenty-four hours, depending on the size of your particular frozen lobster.
Placing your lobster straight from the freezer into a cooking pot or oven is not recommended, as this will result in uneven cook with raw meat at the center. It is best to follow this step in the lobster storing process in order to create a safer and more satisfying meal.
First, remove the lobster from its place in the freezer and then remove the top set of plastic layering, so only the aluminum foil is left covering the lobster. Then place the still-frozen lobster in the driest section of your refrigerator for up to twenty-four hours, though it is likely only eight to nine hours will be required.
The thawing process may also be accelerated by soaking the lobster in a bowl of lukewarm or room temperature water, changing the water every thirty minutes.
Check Out:
Can You Refreeze Lobster?
No, you should not refreeze your lobster. You should only freeze lobster once. You need to be really careful with freezing seafood, as repeated freezing can cause spoilage, which may then lead to food poisoning.
If the lobster has been sitting out at room temperature for too long, harmful bacteria will grow on the meat, which can cause an upset stomach. Therefore, you should freeze lobster only once and make sure you thaw it in the fridge before reheating it.
If you’re worried about wasting lobster meat, consider freezing it in smaller portions so you can easily remove what you need at any given time and skip the need to refreeze it.
Does Lobster Freeze Well?
Yes, cooked lobster freezes well, provided you follow the steps listed above. However, we would advise against freezing ‘dead’ lobster, as you have no way of knowing how long it has been dead.
We think the best and safest way to freeze this delicious seafood is to cook it first before soaking your leftover meat in milk and adding it to the freezer for up to three months. When you freeze an uncooked lobster, the meat actually expands and is tightly compressed within the shell walls. Then, on thawing the uncooked lobster, the meat then tears and shreds as the meat shrinks and disconnects from the wall to which it was once connected.
Become familiar with many more fish varieties like mussels by visiting our guide on Can you Freeze Mussels and clear them.
FAQs On Freezing Lobster
1. Is it better to buy fresh or frozen lobster?
Although it’s easy to purchase frozen lobster tails or pulled lobster meat; live, whole lobsters have the best flavor. Whole lobsters should be alive before cooking, as dead lobsters can start to become mushy within an hour due to enzymatic breakdown.
2. Can You Freeze Lobster Bisque?
Yes, lobster bisque, like many soups, can also be frozen. For freezing, first cool, then portion into good-quality freezer bags or Tupperware containers, seal, and then freeze.
3. Is it OK to boil a frozen lobster?
Yes, you can boil the lobster. For this, in a large kettle, bring enough water to a boil to cover lobster tails; add 1 tbsp. salt, if desired, for each quart of water. Then place the thawed tails in boiling water, and when the water returns to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer.
4. Can You Freeze Uncooked Lobster?
Yes, you can even freeze uncooked lobster. You’ll only be making But this way you’ll make more work for yourself because it is far better to cook it before freezing it so it’s ready to use from the freezer.
5. Is it better to steam or boil frozen lobsters?
Steamed lobster is more tender as less water infiltrates the shells. If you have a get-together, boiling is the way to go, as it’s the best method for cooking four or more lobsters at one time.
Lobster should never smell bad, so if you’re scrunching your nose up after a quick sniff, you’re better off tossing the meat than consuming it. Also, if your lobster meat smells OK, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good to eat, to be sure, you should take it out of the bag and see how it feels.
7. How long is frozen lobster good after thawing?
Uncooked, thawed lobster should be kept in the refrigerator, either in its original packaging or wrapped in plastic wrap. This lobster should be used within one or two days of thawing. You should never refreeze the lobster once it has been thawed.
Wrapping Up
We hope this article helps you in properly freezing your lobster. Lobster is a delicious and expensive delicacy so you would want it to go to waste or spoil. Therefore, follow the above-mentioned tips to store your lobster for a long period of time. If you’ve still got any queries about freezing lobster, drop us a comment below and our experts will help you out. For more interesting articles on freezing food such as Can you Freeze Cooked Fish keep following our website.