My friends and family back in Edmonton think that we eat lobster – like – everyday or something.
This is a popular misconception regarding Maritimers. #1 that they all talk funny and #2 that we murder sea life on a daily basis. No – lobster’s are still expensive relatively speaking, so we tend to eat pigeons because there are a lot of those just walking around and they’re free.
The other reason I don’t eat a lot of lobster is the method traditionally used to kill them. As much as I love eating these ‘wee crustaceans’ the thought of committing a violent murder just to appease my selfish gastronomic desires is difficult.
I ask hubby to do it, but he won’t kill them either – plus he does not even eat lobster and he is like all “I am not a lobster hit man for hire lady, do your own dirty work.’
I tried to keep them as pets but they started fighting with the cats, so I usually wait until its dark, then walk down to the end of my street and release them in Courtney bay. I do this in the dark in case someone sees me and steals my lobsters. If I can’t kill them no one else can either.
But a British inventor has come up with a lobster killing device which zaps them with electricity as an alternative to boiling them alive. Then he said it will give the Maritime lobster industry a jolt. Ha ha….oh funny guy! And here we thought giving fisherman a fair market price would re-awaken it! Duh…what were we thinking?
This guy is a lawyer in his professional life, so no wonder he came up with the idea of ‘electrocuting them’ maybe he supports drowing criminals.
It is called the ‘CrustaStun’ …catchy huh?
“We deliver a current, very small current,” he said. “It’s about one amp per lobster and 1.3 amps per crab. And that renders the crab or lobster unconscious in less than half a second.”
Unconscious….ah so what…we eat them alive?
He compares it to going into a hospital and having an anesthetic injection, so you feel a little uncomfortable as the current goes in and thereafter, you’re unconscious!
He said it can take a lobster two to three minutes to die in boiling water and he wanted to find a way to make that death happen in less time.
To many, present methods of killing (chopping, drowning in freshwater, boiling, frying & basting – alive) are barbaric and the recommended methods (cooling in ice-slurry or spiking the several nerve centres) unproven, difficult and impractical. It reduces stress & osmotic dilution (effected in freshwater drowning) and thereby enhances texture and flavour.
Ah ha! Makes it taste better…hmmm.
Lobsters are basically very large swimming insects and considering the home version of this Lobby-zapper goes for around $3000 clams (excuse the pun) that is a lot of money for what is basically an electric bug killer.
So I was thinking that a cheaper way to do it would be to put the lobsters in pot of cold water so they just think they are like ‘moving into smaller digs’ then when they are distracted counting square footage you toss in a toaster or blow dryer. Thus electrocuting them humanely.
Pretty good hey? I think I’ll call it the ‘Crusty Toast.’ Man I am gonna win some kind of PETA award for this.
You can also jab them with a knife through their skull – you can call that slice ‘n dice!