Lobster Liberation: Addendums

Whole Foods to live crustacean cravers: Go fish
Thursday, December 20, 2007

You can purchase live lobsters at most large markets, but not Whole Foods in Ridgewood or Edgewater.

"We have been working on developing compassionate standards for all of the animals we are selling," said Whole Foods spokeswoman Amy Schaefer. "We realized that we were selling live lobsters, and that that was pretty inconsistent with the stand we had taken with all of the farm animals that we sell."

Whole Foods considered the natural behavior of lobsters, how long they'd be out of the ocean before being consumed, and how they'd be transported from the ocean to the markets across the country. Lobsters are most comfortable when they can tuck their tails between rock crevices, explained Schaefer, and they don't enjoy company. Typically, lobsters bound for markets are transported in crates where they are prone to crushing.

Whole Foods experimented with giving lobsters their own compartments with piping to tuck their tails around, and "de-stressing" them with fresh seawater in a processing plant before being shipped to retail stores, but the store found the process unsustainable.

The only Whole Foods store that now sells live lobster is in Portland, Maine -- right at the source.

-- Evelyn Shih
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How the pros cook lobsters
• Steaming: In a large pot, boil 2 inches of water. Add lobster and cook, covered, for 12 minutes, or 15 minutes for a 2-pounder, says Marcel Bisson of Marcel's Live Maine Lobsters.
• Boiling: Submerge a 2-pounder in boiling water for no more than 12 minutes, or until the shell turns completely red, says Arthur Tolve, who teaches future chefs at Bergen Community College.
• Baking: Roast in a 450- or 500-degree oven until the shell is red with slight burn marks. You can then turn the lobster over and stuff it with the same filling you'd use for stuffed mushrooms or zucchini, Tolve says.

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