Treating yourself to lobster meat once in a while is a great way to add a little indulgence to your life! But given that you need to be careful when youāre dealing with seafood, whatās the best way to preserve lobster?
Can You Freeze Lobster?
Yes, you can freeze lobster for up to 3 months, whether it is cooked or uncooked. Itās best to freeze it after cooking it, as uncooked meat will compress in its shell.
Do Does Lobster freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Lobster? No
How to Freeze Lobster
The first thing you need to decide before freezing lobster is how best to go about it. With all the ways considered, we recommend freezing lobster that has been cooked. Why? Because it is the easiest and causes the least amount of hassle.
Hereās what you need to do:
- Cool
Regardless of how you have cooked your lobster, you will need to allow it sufficient time to cool at room temperature before you set about freezing it. This is important as freezing lobster meat that is still warm will cause it to spoil. - Remove the meat
Once it has cooled, remove the meat from the shell and set it to one side. Freezing lobster meat in its shell gets messy and isnāt worth the hassle. - Add Milk and Bag Up
Place the lobster meat in a suitably sized freezer-safe bag. Then, pour milk on top of the meat and cover it entirely. - Label and Freeze
Seal the freezer-safe bag after pushing out as much air as possible. Then, write todayās date and the use-by date on the front of the bag before placing it in the freezer. Remember, you can freeze lobster for around three months.
3 Tips for Freezing Lobster
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing lobster to have the best results:
Avoid Freezing Dead Lobster
One of the biggest threats to your health when it comes to freezing lobster is if you freeze meat from a lobster that has been dead for longer than two hours. This is because bacteria and toxins will start spreading through the meat. In other words, if kill the lobster yourself, donāt freeze it.
Always Remove the Shell
Before you freeze lobster, itās always a good idea to remove the meat from its shell. This is mainly from a convenience perspective rather than anything else. Things get messy really quickly if you try and freeze cooked lobster in its shell, so spend a few minutes removing the meat you want to freeze before bagging it up.
Don’t Forget the Milk
Freezing lobster in milk is an excellent way to reduce the impacts of freezer burn, and it keeps the meat moist and delicious. It also adds a creamy texture to the lobster, which is ideal for making soups, stews, and broths.
How Long Can You Freeze Lobster?
You can freeze lobster for around three months. Some sources tell you that itās safe to freeze lobster for longer than this, but we would avoid doing so.
The longer you leave the lobster in the freezer, the more the taste and texture of the meat diminishes.
With this in mind, using it within a three-month time period is a smart move. Itās also worth noting 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.
You Can Freeze Lobster for up to 3 Months
How Do You Defrost Lobster?
The best way to defrost lobster is to remove it from the freezer and place it in the fridge. You should never defrost lobster or any other seafood at room temperature as this will cause it to spoil.
We also advise against thawing lobster in the microwave, as doing so can affect both its taste and texture. While it can take several hours, thawing lobster in the fridge is the best – and the safest – way to go about it.
Can You Refreeze Lobster?
No, you should only freeze lobster once. You need to be really careful with freezing seafood, as doing so incorrectly can 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 will lead to a stomach upset. Therefore, only freeze lobster once and make sure you thaw it in the fridge before reheating it.
If youāre worried about wasting lobster meat, consider freezing it in smaller portions so you can easily remove what you need at any given time.
Does Lobster Freeze Well?
Overall, cooked lobster freezes well, providing you follow the steps listed above. We would advise against freezing ādeadā lobster, as you have no way of knowing how long it has been dead for.
Therefore, 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.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing lobster or lobster in general, then these may help:
Yes, you can! Lobster bisque, like many soups, can be frozen. Once cool, portion into good-quality freezer bags or Tupperware containers, seal and then freeze.
Yes, you can freeze uncooked lobster but there’s no point. You’ll only be making more work for yourself. It is far better to cook it before freezing it so it’s ready to use from the freezer.
Thanks for a well written article ! Very informative, covers all my questions and concerns.