Information provided by R&R Publishing

How to buy lobster

Lobsters may be purchased liv ein the shell, or freshly cooked in the shell. When purchased live, lobster should show some movement and the tail should spring back when straightened out. Lobster that show no movement when handled and whose tail hangs down straight are dead and should be discarded.
When handling live lobster,be careful of the claws(if they have any) as they can give you a severe bite. To protect the handler and to prevent the lobster from harming each over in captivity, the claws are usually immobilised by placing an elastic band around them.
When buying cooked lobster, check that they are a bright 'red-orange' colour, and have a fresh aroma and that the tail section will spring back into a curled position after being straightened out.

How to store

Live lobster should never be placed in fresh water or on ice. Under ideal cool, damp storage conditions, lobster can live out of water for up to 36 hours. They can be stored in your refigerator for several hours by placing them in a large container covered with damp newspaper or seaweed.
Cooked lobster in the shell can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days if placed in a tightly covered container. Shucked lobster meat can be refrigerated for 2 - 3 days.
Live lobsters should never be frozen but cooked lobster freezes well. For best results, the cooked meat should be removed from the shell and placed in plastic containers or freezer bags. Prepare a brine solution of 55g/2oz salt to each litre of fresh water. Pour this over the lobster so that all the meat is covered and a 1 cm/ .5 inch headspace remains.
Whole cooked lobster can be frozen in individual heavy plastic bags. PLace the lobster in the bag, being careful that the sharp shell does not puncture the bag. cover with a brine solution, cover tightly and freeze.
To thaw lobster, place in refrigerator and allow 18 hours defrosting time. to speed up defrosting time, place package under cold running water until thawed.

How to prepare

To cook live lobsters, the most humane way is to place lobster in freezer and simmer it as you would a crab. Lobster shoul be cooked in either seawater or salted freshwater. Lobster will cook in 12 - 20 minutes, depending on the size. Once cooked, the lobster should be drained immediately.They can be served hot, or chilled quickly by being dipped in cold water.

Cleaning lobster

Hold lobster right-side-up on a firm surface. Pierce the shell at the centre of the body behind the head (Step 1).

Cut lobster in half lengthwise and remove and discard sac near the head and intestinal vein in the tail. Remove any roe from the body and reserve for flavouring sauces (Step 2).

Clean the lobster by rinsing under cold, running water (Step 3).