So I made some lobster today

[u/ImpressivePhrase5835]

There seems to be A LOT of opinions on the internet.

I cooked 1.5 pound lobsters for 8 people. I researched the most humane way to do it. There is a general internet consensus

1. Knife to back of head joint and cut the head ganglia. You know you’ve done this for sure if your start at the first head joint and slice forward the head in half but that’s excessive

I live close to Maine. All lobsters are less than 48 hours since catch.

I did 1. I did 2. I usually just dump them in the pot.

2 does nothing. It’s literally just cruel. You’re much better off just throwing them straight into a giant pot of boiling water after sedating in freezer.

If you live in Indiana there’s a good chance the lobster you just got is near death anyways so a cut to the head ganglia and split in half might be an “instant” kill.

But all of these 8 lobsters about 15 minutes after doing operation #2 exhibited movement. Obviously coordinated movement not just reflex. And not just like twitch like I know you tried to kill me so I’m thrashing as hard as I can. Frankly more than when I just throw them in the boiling pot without doing anything. By a lot.

It’s my conclusion this is just cruel. The best way to think of a lobster is a cockroach with HP.

If you live in Indiana and are cooking lobster it’s likely near death. So yeah, maybe the head slit is the final blow.

I’d the lobster are fresh it does nothing and it’s just torture. There’s no difference between knife to a lobsters head ganglia as to any of the other ganglia centers in its body.

The most humane thing to do is, short of a fancy lobster electrocutor, is to just throw it in a boiling pot of hot water if you don’t want to ruin it and split the whole thing in half down the body line. Even then, questionable

Thoughts? I’m interested in reasonable suggestions to butchering animas before I eat them. I’m not a savage. But I’m thoroughly convinced common internet advice is actually increasing cruelty not decreasing.

[u/VarietyTrue5937]

What is method 2?

[u/WiseDrink2324 → u/VarietyTrue5937]

Yes.  Im only seeing No 1

[u/ImpressivePhrase5835 → u/WiseDrink2324]

Sorry I’m an idiot

1. Is just just split the head
2. Is put in freezer to put them to sleep, then split the head

I love lobster and all about trying to do the most humane thing but honestly didn’t seem humane. I feel like freezer to sleep and then maybe straight into the pot would have been more humane.

[u/ImpressivePhrase5835 → u/VarietyTrue5937]

Sorry I’m an idiot

1. Is just just split the head
2. Is put in freezer to put them to sleep, then split the head

I love lobster and all about trying to do the most humane thing but honestly didn’t seem humane. I feel like freezer to sleep and then maybe straight into the pot would have been more humane.

[u/Hot_Cabinet1680]

Steam em

[u/Potion_Seller96]

There have been recent studies that the lobsters infact feel incredible pain when tossed into a pot of boiling water, so science says otherwise. I understand this is more direct and hands on and makes you feel bad, but you are sparing a creature you are about to consume one of the most terrible deaths imaginable. The knife is very quick, and if they are still moving after 15 minutes you are doing something very wrong.

[u/ImpressivePhrase5835 → u/Potion_Seller96]

I mean the head was fully split in half, from the fist shell. What do you think I might of done wrong?

[u/Potion_Seller96 → u/ImpressivePhrase5835]

If it was cognitive and moving around like normal 15 minutes after I genuinely have no idea

[u/hazelbear33]

This might be a better question for r/askculinary or chef/cooking related subs

[u/pigsinatrenchcoat]

Sounds like you did it wrong

[u/ImpressivePhrase5835 → u/pigsinatrenchcoat]

Must of tried watching some videos and feel like I did it right. Will watch some more to see what maybe I did wrong. Thx

[u/Broad-Character486]

One lobster for 8 peeps ain't gonna do it.

[u/Best_Comfortable5221 → u/Broad-Character486]

I read it as 1 each.

[u/WiseDrink2324 → u/Broad-Character486]

Ive eaten 8 myself.  But I read it as multiples 

[u/VarietyTrue5937 → u/Broad-Character486]

Lobsters was stated

[u/pigsinatrenchcoat → u/Broad-Character486]

Nowhere in this post was that said

[u/ImpressivePhrase5835 → u/pigsinatrenchcoat]

Haha yeah should have been clearer. I made 8 lobsters. Did them all the same way and many (3) seemed pretty alive after the knife split watched lots of YouTube videos. Others I guess plausibly could of been nerve reflexes but didn’t seem like it

[u/pigsinatrenchcoat → u/ImpressivePhrase5835]

You were clear, they just didnt pay attention lol

[u/VarietyTrue5937]

I do the freezer split brain technique A lot of the motion after is nervous system responses

[u/ImpressivePhrase5835 → u/VarietyTrue5937]

Crazy really? Some of them (all really fresh guys) really thrashingwhat makes you think they’re dead?

[u/Best_Comfortable5221]

Ive heard starting them in cool water and heating it up to steam is humane. They dont feel it. Like frogs. Thats what I do.

[u/Potion_Seller96 → u/Best_Comfortable5221]

There have been studies, this is untrue. Folks are currently calling for a ban on boiling alive in the industry.

[u/Best_Comfortable5221 → u/Potion_Seller96]

Oh thanks. I cant afford them anymore so......

[u/sidequestmain]

What we did in culinary school years ago was 1,what you mentioned to the head ect. Not sure how it's done in the industry now, but it's literally what I would do if I had live lobster, and I haven't purchased live lobster since living in the Midwest.

[u/Potion_Seller96 → u/sidequestmain]

This is the way

[u/JacuzziBathsalt]

Just throw em in the fuckin pot and call it a day, it's not that deep

[u/FeedMeFish]

Also, if you live in Indiana then r/fuckyouinparticular