# Question about boiling lobster.



## LobsterLover (Jan 1, 2010)

I boiled 4 1lb lobsters yesterday in a 16 quart pot for about 10 minutes. After removing the lobsters from the pot for cooling, their claws turned a slight whiteish color.  Just wondering what this is and if I did something wrong.  Otherwise the meat seemed to be cooked perfectly.

Thanks!


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## blissful (Jan 1, 2010)

If you live in Fairbanks Alaska, it could be frost bite, other wise it's probably fine.


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## kitchenelf (Jan 1, 2010)

Claw meat is white...was it something other than the natural white-ish color?


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## LobsterLover (Jan 3, 2010)

kitchenelf said:


> Claw meat is white...was it something other than the natural white-ish color?


 
Nope, I'm talking about the claw itself, the outside, whitish instead of shiny red. It's a presentation issue. I just finished cooking another two lobsters and saw the same thing. As soon as I take them out of the water to cool you can see the water evaporate from the hot lobsters and their dry claws and parts of the body have like a whitish coating on them. (I'm not refering to the white protein blobs that float around in the pot after they're done.)

I tried wiping off the claws with a paper towel but this had no effect.

I don't know if it's some residue from the water or what. I figure people and restaurants use regular tap water, maybe I'll try distilled water next.


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## GB (Jan 3, 2010)

I have seen that before. I do not know what causes it, but I do know it is perfectly normal and does not affect the meat.


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## chilipepper12 (Jan 3, 2010)

I have always seen that when I cook lobsters, I think it is pretty normal!


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## Tom421 (Jan 3, 2010)

Could be mineral deposits, salt, calcium?


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## blissful (Jan 4, 2010)

Sounds like salt or mineral deposits to me too. Is your water hard, or did you salt the water? It's probably fine.


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## ella/TO (Jan 4, 2010)

I saw a cooking show today, with a well known woman chef....I can't remember her name...Lynn, I think, ....anyway....she went lobster fishing and one of the fishermen cooked lobster for her....she said it was the best she's ever tasted.....He put the lobster in a plastic bag, with sea salt, closed the bag and zapped it for 8 minutes.....I think I will try this with lobster tails next time.....


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## ella/TO (Jan 4, 2010)

Of course I forgot to say he did this in the MW.....but using the term "zapped", maybe you guessed....LOL


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## GB (Jan 5, 2010)

Ella, what did the salt in the bag do?


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## ella/TO (Jan 5, 2010)

I would imagine it would be like the taste of the sea.....Whenever we've had lobster at "a pound" in maine....it was always boiled in sea water


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## GB (Jan 5, 2010)

I can see boiling them in seawater because the water (and hence salt) comes in contact with the lobster meat so it seasons it, but sticking a lobster in a bag in the microwave will steam the lobster. I would think the salt would not do much of anything in that situation. maybe I am wrong.


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## ella/TO (Jan 5, 2010)

apparently, the man had water and sea salt in the bag. Therefore, it would come to a boil, wouldn't it?.....and he did a whole lobster in 8 minutes....wish I could remember the name of the program....if I do....I'll post it ....


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## GB (Jan 5, 2010)

Being that it was in a bag I was assuming it was not a lot of water. Enough to steam, but not enough to submerge the lobster in it.


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## ella/TO (Jan 5, 2010)

Okay, found it....Food Network.ca......"Chef Lynn is invited to go lobster fishing on The Bay of Fundy, where some of the finest lobster in the world is caught. It’s backbreaking work and Lynn is totally out of her element. At the Four Seasons in New York, she had a $1000 omelet on the menu, but before she prepares dinner for her hosts, she finds out that the locals prefer their lobster micro-waved."
Her full name is Lynn Crawford....she's a renowned chef


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## GB (Jan 5, 2010)

I just did a quick search and from her description Chef Lynn mentions sea water, but does not mention extra salt.



> The recipe [from Stanton, the owner of the pickup] was half a cup of sea water, and one beautiful Nova Scotian lobster, throw it in a bag and nuke it



I couldn't see extra salt doing anything bad, but I don't see it doing anything beneficial either.


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## ella/TO (Jan 5, 2010)

You're right! If it's seawater, it's aready salty. I would not add more salt.


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## babetoo (Jan 9, 2010)

for dinner had two beautiful lobster tails. put 1/4 cup water , lemon and tails in baggie. leave a slight opening for steam to vent ( or bag will burst) cooked on high in microwave for five min. perfect. did not salt in bag and used unsalted butter for dipping. plenty salty enough for me. 

wish they were not so expensive, paid $24 for two. rationalized that a dinner out costs that much. lol.


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## ella/TO (Jan 11, 2010)

babetoo.....thankyou!!!!.....sounds exactly what I want...altho' I must admit I would definitely put some sea salt in the water, and some garlic in the melted butter....LOL......Thanks so much.....


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## BigAL (Apr 11, 2010)

Ladies, doesn't that take the fun out of cooking?  In 8 minutes you can only drink about 2 beers.

Sounds good, thanks for the idea.


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## ella/TO (Apr 11, 2010)

BigAl....I don't drink beer....LOL


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## babetoo (Apr 11, 2010)

me either, joke, i do but not very often and usually not when cooking


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