Whole lobster makes for an amazing meal, but live lobsters can be hard to handle. This clever trick will help you keep from getting pinched.


As unpleasant as it might sound, cooking a lobster alive is actually the safest way to do it. They have harmful bacteria present in their flesh that can rapidly multiply, so tossing live ones right into the pot is the best way to avoid food poisoning. Even so, lobsters aren’t too keen on being manhandled and tossed into boiling water. Working with them can be a little unwieldy, and you certainly don’t want those claws anywhere near you, so Kenzi Wilbur at Food52 has a tip for getting them to relax:

Flip the lobster gently on its head, tucking its claws gently underneath where its chin would be if it had one. Then tuck down its tail... After ten or so seconds—it will need your help being stabilized in this time—the lobster should calm down significantly, usually enough to headstand on its own.


Wilbur likens it to a lobster doing a child’s pose in yoga. The position gives the lobster a bit of a head rush and incapacitates it. Alternatively, if you need more prep time, you can also put the lobster on ice until you’re ready to boil.

You Learned This Lobster Cooking Trick in Yoga Class | Food52

Photo by Louisiana Sea Grant College Program .