Store Your Lobster Tails Properly Until You Are Ready To Use
Your lobster tails are shipped frozen in dry ice unless they are ordered with a fresh or live product. If you order was shipped with dry ice, don't worry, the gas in dry ice is as harmless as the carbon dioxide you exhale(but please don't breath it in). We would never ship your product with dangerous material, however, we do not recommend handling the dry ice without gloves. If you order was shipped with gel packs, your tails may begin to "sweat" or have water beads on the outside of the tail. Although the outer rim of the shell may be beginning to defrost, your tail meat is totally safe and can be stored properly. Once your tails are thawed, do not refreeze your lobster tails at home, the slow freezing process in a conventional freezer will actually break down the cell wall of the raw lobster meat and ruin the texture of your cooked lobster tails. Place your lobster tails in the freezer right away until 24 hours prior to use. Do not store for more than 3 months or your tails may begin to dry out.
Thaw Your Tails Thoroughly To Avoid Meat Sticking to the Shell
If you want to avoid your tails sticking to the shell, thaw your tails 24 hours prior to cooking in a refrigerator inside a leak-proof container. Your tails are defrosting so they will leak fluid. If your tails are frozen and you are planning on cooking them today, that is not a problem. Put your lobster tails in a sealed bag and soak them in cold water for at least 30-60 minutes. Larger lobster tails will take longer to thaw. If you want to butterfly a lobster tail, thawing your tails will be critical because you will have to cut the meat, and you won't be able to do so if the tails are not thawed all the way.
It is common to have tomalley in the center of the tail. It appears black and sometimes green and sometimes will startle customers. Do not worry. This is a natural part of the lobster tail. It is actually the liver and is totally edible and is considered a delicacy. If you do not desire to eat this it can be rinsed off with water once the lobster is fully cooked.
The most lobster tail meat is white but it is also common to have a slight pink tint to the meat for lobsters that are preparing to shed. Once again, this is a totally natural process and is totally edible. If you want to remove the pink tint, you can rinse most of it off with warm water after you have cooked your tail.
With our easy-to-use lobster tail boiling, grilling and broiling guides below, you’ll find that cooking lobster tails is a rewarding experience the whole family will want to experience again and again. Check out our lobster tail recipes section to find out better techniques on how to butterfly a lobster tail! We intentionally only stock cold-water lobster tails, if you are interested in learning the difference between cold-water and warm-water lobster tails check out our blog for more information.
If you aren't sure which method to use, we strongly recommend boiling frozen lobster tails after they are completely thawed because this is your best bet to avoid your tails sticking to the shell. Please read our following section to make sure your lobster tails are stored and thawed properly to ensure the best results.
Lobster tails typically bake in 8 to 30 minutes depending on the size. They should be baked at 350 degrees F until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F.
Steaming is a classic way to cook lobster and is even faster than boiling it. Use a steaming basket inside a large pot with a tight-fitting lid. Small to medium lobster tails take 6-8 minutes to cook while larger tails may take 8-12 minutes. You can steam your lobster tails in the shell or butterfly them beforehand.
Let the lobster tails steam for 8-10 minutes or until they turn bright red. Be careful not to overcook them, making them tough and rubbery. Once the lobster tails are done, take them out of the pot and let them cool for a few minutes. When ready to serve, carefully remove the shells from the tails.
Boiling and steaming are the methods of choice when you want to serve diners a whole lobster. Boiling is a little quicker and easier to time precisely, and the meat comes out of the shell more readily than when steamed. For recipes that call for fully cooked and picked lobster meat, boiling is the best approach.
Luckily for you, preparation is simple! To prepare your lobster tails for boiling, thaw them out thoroughly. If you try to cook the lobster while it's still fully or partially frozen, it will dry out when cooking, rendering it rubbery. Thaw the lobster in a cold water bath or in the refrigerator overnight.
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. Place thawed tails in boiling water. When water returns to a boil, reduce heat and simmer (do not boil), covered, 5 min.
Cleaning a lobster doesn't just mean rinsing it off, though. Before cooking things like lobster tails, if you aren't planning to boil them, require some rinsing under that exoskeleton.
Use shears or a knife to cut the lobster tail lengthwise along the middle. You should cut the lobster all the way back to the very tip of the fin. Try to avoid cutting into the meat, so that it does not break apart during the boiling.
Though you've probably eaten lobster before, you may not know what it means to butterfly a lobster tail. Basically, it involves cracking open the hard top shell so the meat underneath can come through. As it cooks, the lobster meat will start to puff up over the shell.
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