Q&A for How to Boil Lobsters

If your pot is big enough to cook both of them at once, then it will only take 8 minutes when the pot is boiling.

If you can, you should just use the small ones. If you can't, just put them in at the same time. Once the small ones are done, take them out, but keep the larger one in for a teensy bit longer.

It will depend on how well done you want your lobsters and what you're using them for. If you just want to eat sweet, fresh lobster, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil (I use a canning pot), add the lobsters head-first as quickly as you can, and let the water return to a boil. When they turn completely red (Maine lobsters) -- usually about 10 minutes -- they're done. Lift them out of the water by the body, allowing excess water to drain back into the pot. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then turn them over and cut through the bottom of the tail carapace. Using a hefty fork, pull the tail meat out from the end of the tail.

Yes. You can tell if they're done by trying to pull off one of the antennae. When the lobster is done, they will pull off easily.

Yes, you should thaw them out before boiling. Just make sure the meat doesn't spoil while you're thawing it out. To prevent this I recommend thawing it out slowly in a refrigerator.

There is a weight/cook time chart in the article.

To be kosher, seafood must have fins and scales (Deuteronomy 14:9-10). Any other seafood, including lobster, is considered unclean and is not kosher.

Yes, assuming the lobsters died within the last 8 hours. If they died earlier than that, you should not eat them.

Your lobster, once boiled, ought to have the claws opened (I use a butcher knife and cut a hole in them) and drained. When you split the lobster to stuff and broil or bake it, the claws will not be a problem.

Cook them for 30 minutes.

Vent the lid or turn town the heat slightly without losing the boil -- whichever works best in your given situation.

Steam a lobster for 7 minutes per pound, for the first pound. Add 3 minutes per pound for each additional pound thereafter.

You should be able to cook about around three before the water needs to be changed.

Place it in ice water for 5-10 minutes. This will also help to separate the flesh from the shell.

If they're fresh, then yes you want to boil them alive. Obviously, if they're frozen, then they're already dead, so you can defrost them and then boil them. However, fresh lobster actually has bacteria that naturally live in their bodies that can be potentially harmful. When a lobster dies, the bacteria can quickly multiply and release toxins that may still be present even after you cook the lobster. So, if you're boiling fresh lobster, the best way to prevent food poisoning is to cook them while they're still alive. The lobster will die within seconds of entering the boiling water.

While the exact amount of water can vary depending on how much lobster you're boiling, a safe bet is to fill a 6 gallon (23 L) stockpot with 4 to 5 gallons (15 to 19 L) of water. That will be a large enough pot and enough water to hold around 6 to 8 pounds (2.7 to 3.6 kg) of lobster. It's always better to have too much water than to have a pot crowded with lobster and not enough water. That can cause the lobster to boil unevenly. Always err on the side of caution and add extra water if you're unsure.

No, this is actually a common myth. Scientists aren't sure if lobsters and other crustaceans can sense pain, but they do know that lobsters don't have vocal cords. That means, they can't vocalize a scream, even if they were in pain. The high pitched sound sometimes made by a boiling lobster is actually expanding air inside of its body rushing out of small holes in their shells, sort of like a whistle in a teapot. In fact, a dead lobster will make the same sound as a live one when it's boiled.