No, you should not remove the rubber bands from a lobster’s claws before you boil or steam the lobster as this could result in you getting hurt. You also should not use latex rubber if you’re boiling or steaming with the bands on. Instead use FDA approved silicone bands as these can withstand the heat and are safe to cook with.
But the first and foremost reason to not remove the bands from the lobster before cooking is that the claws can cause serious damage to you if the lobster grabs you.
The crusher claw can create a maximum force of 256 newtons (100 Pounds PSI) which is enough force to crack open shellfish like oysters and clams, as well as crack the shell of crustaceans like crabs. While this likely will not break your finger or arm, it will be able to cause tissue damage and severe pain.
If the claws don’t get you, they could grasp the side of the pot on the way down. Not only will it be difficult and dangerous for you to get the claw unlatched as this could lead to boiling water getting splashed and the pot being spilled over, the longer the lid is off the cooler the temperature inside will be. This can impact the cooking times and textures of your meal. So what about the taste?
Fun fact: One of the reasons for bands in pounds (the holding tanks at stores) is because it stops the lobsters from fighting which reduces stress.
You are guaranteed to see an argument online that cooking with the rubber bands adds chemicals to the meal, and changes the flavors of the lobster. This argument is easy to resolve as well.
Make sure the place you buy your lobsters from uses FDA approved and food safe silicone bands. If you buy your live lobsters from a trustworthy supplier, chances are they’re already using FDA approved ones, but it doesn’t hurt to ask if you’re concerned. And when it comes to taste, that is purely opinion.
America’s Test Kitchen ran a side-by-side comparison where they cooked lobsters with and without the rubber bands. When the lobster meat was tasted, there was no noticeable difference. This has been our experience as well, assuming the silicone rubber bands are the high-quality and food safe ones. There’s a likely reason for it too.
If the bands used in the tests had been used for cooking other foods, or washed and reused, there’s a chance that while they were under heat, the pores increased in size and became trapped in oils and flavors.
If there is a flavor added because the bands were used for baking or cooking other dishes, this is caused by the lobster being placed back into heat. Once the silicone enters the heat, the pores re-open and allow the previously trapped flavors to get mixed in. If the silicone rubber bands are brand new and never before used, there’s no trapped flavors to release, reducing the chances of having a rubbery flavor mixed into the lobster. This is common enough that even Southern Living wrote a guide on properly cleaning your silicon cookware and tools to remove the soapy taste that can get absorbed in as soap flavors can get trapped into food grade silicone as well.
If you are curious, give it a try yourself and do a taste test where you serve lobster rolls, mac and cheese, or whole lobsters that were cooked with the silicone bands on and ones with no bands. Then don’t tell the guests which had bands and which did not to see if they can guess. Just be careful when handling the lobsters without rubber bands for the reasons above.
If you decide you do not want to cook your lobster with rubber bands on, no problem. Just be careful and follow these tips.
- Snip the bands with sharp kitchen shears in one quick cut.
- Keep the head and claws facing away from your body.
- Hold the lobster’s carapace (body shell) and do not put your fingers near the knuckles or claws.
- Dispatch it into the pot quickly and without hesitation to prevent splashing and reduce the opportunities for the lobster’s claws to pinch you or grab onto the sides of the pot.
If you’re using FDA approved silicone rubber bands to keep the lobsters claws from being a hazard, you don’t need to remove them before cooking. And chances are they won’t interfere with the sweet flavor of the lobster meat. We hope this helps debunk the myth that you have to remove the rubber bands, and if you’re looking for the freshest Maine lobster around, click here to have us ship live Maine lobster overnight to your door.