How to Freeze Lobster at Home: Whole, Cooked and Meat
Lobster freezes well if you handle it quickly and keep air away from it. There are two common approaches: freeze the whole lobster after a short blanch, or cook it fully and freeze the meat.
Method 1: blanch and freeze whole lobsters
This method, published by Lobster from Maine, keeps the lobster close to raw so you can cook it properly later:
- Start with live, chilled lobsters.
- Blanch them for 60 seconds in boiling 2% salt brine, about 1.5 oz (roughly ½ cup) of non-iodized or sea salt per 2 quarts of water.
- Chill right away in cold running water or a 50/50 mix of ice and water for 15–20 minutes, then pat off excess water.
- Pack each lobster in a freezer bag with as much air removed as possible, then over-wrap with a second bag or freezer wrap.
- Freeze at 0°F (−18°C) or colder. The colder the freezer, the better the meat holds its quality.
Method 2: cook fully and freeze the meat
Tourism PEI’s seafood freezing tips describe cooking lobster completely, removing the meat, packing it in containers with about ½ inch (1 cm) of headspace, covering it with brine, then sealing, labelling and freezing it. Meat frozen this way keeps longer than lobster frozen in the shell, and it is ready to use in chowders, rolls and pasta.
Thawing and cooking
- Thaw frozen lobster overnight in the refrigerator, never on the counter.
- Cook blanched whole lobsters thoroughly after thawing. Lobster from Maine suggests 12–15 minutes in boiling 2% brine.
- Use thawed cooked meat cold in salads and rolls, or add it at the end of hot dishes so it does not toughen.
- Avoid refreezing thawed lobster; each freeze-thaw cycle makes the meat softer and drier.
How long does frozen lobster keep?
Frozen lobster stays safe as long as it stays frozen, but its texture and flavour slowly decline. Label every package with the date and plan to use it within a few months for the best results.
For cooking times by weight, see how to cook live lobster.