Cooking Instructions

What You'll Need

A large pot, salt (if not using ocean water), tongs, a nutcracker or lobster cracker, paper towels, melted butter, or try vinegar!

Steaming Your Lobster

Put about two inches of water in the bottom of your pot. If you can't use ocean water, add salt to tap water. Cover and bring to a rolling boil.

Add your lobsters one at a time and cover the pot.

How to Tell They're Done

The shells will turn a bright, scarlet red. Give one of the antennae a gentle tug. If it pops right off under the weight of the lobster, it's done. If you have to really pull at it, put the lid back on and give it a few more minutes. For larger lobsters — two pounds and up — let them go a couple extra minutes after the antenna pulls off easily. 

As a rough guide: 16 - 18 minutes after the water returns to the boil. Shedders cook faster, hard shells a little slower. The antenna test is the most reliable method.

Let them rest for about 5 minutes after cooking. This allows the meat to absorb the juices under the shell.

Steaming Your Jonah Crab

Same setup — two inches of salted water at a rolling boil. Add the crabs, cover the pot, and steam for 12 to 15 minutes. They're done when the shells turn deep orange-red.

The best meat on a Jonah crab is in the claws and legs. There isn't much in the body but give it a shot!

Eating Lobster

Have a bowl ready for shells, lots of paper towels, and butter and vinegar for dipping.

Claws and knuckles: Twist the claws off the body. Pull off the knuckles — the two jointed pieces connecting the claw to the body. These have some of the sweetest meat on the lobster. Wiggle the smaller hinged part of the claw back and forth and pull it off. Crack the claw with a nutcracker on the widest side and pull the meat out in one piece. Break the knuckles at the joints and push the meat out with a fork.

Tail: Hold the body in one hand and the tail in the other and twist them apart. Bend the tail fins back and snap them off. Straighten the tail and push your finger up through the narrow end and you'll push the meat up and out through the wider end. On the top of the tail, pull back the strip of meat to reveal the dark vein running down the center of the tail-- remove it and rinse the tail if needed. Just like deveining a shrimp.

Legs: Twist the small legs off the body. Bite down gently on each section to squeeze the meat out.

Tomalley: The green substance in the body cavity is the lobster's liver. Some people love it, some hate it, but give it a try!

Eating Jonah Crab

Use a nutcracker or the back of a heavy knife to crack the claw shells. Pull the meat out with a fork or your fingers. The legs have meat too — snap them at the joints and squeeze it out. Serve with melted butter and lemon.

Jonah crab is also excellent served cold with cocktail sauce.