Good storage starts before lobster or crab reaches your refrigerator. Ask whether the seafood is live, raw, or cooked, and follow the market’s handling advice for that product. On the way home, keep it cold and avoid leaving it in a warm car. Once home, refrigerate it promptly, keep it separate from ready-to-eat foods, and use it within a short, safe window. These steps help protect quality and reduce the risk of foodborne illness.
Keep Seafood Cold on the Way Home
Plan your seafood purchase near the end of your errands so it spends less time out of refrigeration. If the trip home will take a while, use an insulated cooler with ice or frozen gel packs. Keep the seafood sealed or contained, and make sure meltwater cannot leak onto other groceries.
Refrigerate lobster and crab as soon as you get home. Set the refrigerator to 40°F or below and use an appliance thermometer if you are unsure of its temperature. Do not leave seafood at room temperature for more than two hours, or more than one hour when the air temperature is above 90°F.
Store Live Lobster and Crab
Keep live lobster and crab cold, damp, and able to breathe. Place them in a clean, uncovered container in the refrigerator, with a damp cloth or paper towel over them. Do not seal live shellfish in an airtight bag or submerge them in fresh water; either can prevent them from surviving.
Cook live lobster or crab the day you buy it whenever possible. If you need to hold it, ask the market how long that particular product can safely remain alive and follow its instructions. Discard any that are dead before cooking, unless the seller can confirm they were cooked promptly after dying.
Refrigerate Cooked or Picked Meat
Place cooked lobster or crab in a clean, covered container and refrigerate it promptly. Store it on a shelf below ready-to-eat foods so juices cannot drip onto them. Keep raw seafood, if purchased, in a separate sealed container and place it on the lowest shelf.
Use cooked seafood within three to four days when held at 40°F or below. For longer storage, freeze it in a freezer-safe, airtight container and label it with the date. Thaw frozen seafood in the refrigerator, not on the counter, and use it soon after thawing.
Handle and Check Seafood Carefully
Wash your hands with soap and water before and after handling seafood. Clean and sanitize cutting boards, knives, counters, and containers that touch raw seafood. Use separate utensils for cooked seafood, and never put cooked meat back on a plate that held it raw.
Do not rely on smell or appearance alone to decide whether seafood is safe. Throw away lobster or crab that has been above 40°F for too long, or that you suspect was mishandled. When you are uncertain about whether live seafood is still safe to cook, contact the market before preparing it.
For safe storage, keep lobster and crab cold from pickup through serving, use clean containers, and follow shorter holding times for live seafood. Refrigerate cooked meat promptly and freeze it if you will not use it within a few days. Ask Oakland Shellfish Market for product-specific handling guidance when you shop.