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Lobster 101

Maine lobster, also known as the American Lobster, is found in the waters between Eastern Canada and North Carolina, with Maine contributing to more than half of all lobsters caught in the United States. Maine lobster is easily distinguished from the "spiny" lobster (commonly called rock lobster) caught along the southern Atlantic coast and the coast of California by its large heavy claws. The spiny lobster has tiny claws and is usually marketed as uncooked frozen tails. Because of its sweet, delicious flavor and tender texture Maine lobster is the world's most prized catch.

Live Maine lobster is available year-round, with the bulk of the catch harvested in the summer and fall. In the winter months many lobstermen pull their traps to avoid damage and danger of Nor'easters and other storms. The price of lobster, like most prices, is ruled by supply and demand, as well as, the weather. Lobster prices usually rise at the start of Memorial Day and drop as the season ends with Labor Day weekend. May and September are good times to buy hard-shell lobsters. In June and July, when lobster molting is at its peak, the majority of lobsters sold locally are soft-shell.

Lobsters grow by molting, or shedding their shells. Just after they molt, they are soft and fragile until their new shell has hardened. (It takes about 25 molts over 5-7 years for a lobster to grow to a minimum legal size, 1 pound.) Newly molted lobsters are called soft-shell or "new shell" lobsters. It is important to be aware of the quality and price of soft-shell lobsters. Soft-Shell lobsters have less meat in proportion to total body weight than hard-shell lobsters. Hard-shell meat is firmer, while soft-shell meat is softer and tends to have more water. Because soft-shell lobsters are not as strong as hard-shells, they do not ship well. This is why soft-shell lobster is always less expensive. Cracking a hard-shell Maine lobster takes some effort, but the results are more than worth it.

Lobsters are caught in traps, marked by colorful buoys to identify the traps' owners. If you happen to be out on a boat and come across one, don't even think about pulling it up to take a look. There is no real authority specifically governing lobster traps, unless you count Smith & Wesson, and the notoriously short-tempered lobstermen, themselves.

When the lobsters are taken from the trap, they are "banded" with strong rubber bands. Sometimes you might see wooden plugs inserted into the base of the claw. Do not remove the bands or plugs...they are there for your safety!!!

The State of Maine has very strict laws governing lobstering. Lobster traps may not be hauled at night and on Sundays during June through August in Maine waters (since 1967). In Maine it is illegal to keep lobsters under and over a certain size. Lobstermen use a special gauge to accurately measure the length of the lobster's carapace (body)--from the eye socket to the beginning of the tail to ensure legal compliance. The legal minimum length is 3 1/4 inches. Lobsters under this length are call "shorts" or snappers" and must be thrown back into the ocean. Minimum sizes are enforced to make sure that lobsters are mature enough to breed at least once before they are harvested. When a female egg-bearing lobster is found, it is required by Maine law that a v-shaped notch be placed in the right tail flipper before releasing the lobster, in order to protect her so that she may continue to reproduce.

The maximum legal length of a lobster is 5 inches carapace-length; which are called "jumbos". The maximum size limit is regulated to protect the breeding stock. A minimum size lobster will weigh around 1 pound, while a maximum size lobster will weigh between 3-4 pounds. The most plentiful and most popular size of Maine Lobster is between 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 pounds each.
Contrary to popular belief, live lobsters are not red in color, but are actually a dark blue-green color because of the many different color pigments. When cooked, all of the pigments except for the red (astaxantbin) are hidden. Besides the typical colored lobsters, there are also rare yellow, red, blue and white specimens. About 1 in every 30 million lobsters is born with a blue shell. Lobsters are usually active at night and eat fish, crabs, clams, mussels, sea urchins and sometimes-other lobsters!

You can tell if a lobster is a male or a female by looking at their first pair of swimmerets found on the under body of the lobster. The swimmerets on the male are larger and bony; they are smaller and softer in the female.
Maine lobster is not only great tasting, it's healthy - that is, if you go easy on the butter. It's hard to believe, but Maine Lobster has less cholesterol, calories, and saturated fats than lean beef, skinless chicken and pork. Lobster is a good source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, which are proven to reduce hardening of the arteries and risk of heart disease. Lobster is also high in amino acids, potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, iron, vitamin A, and many of the B vitamins.

Live lobster can be boiled, steamed, grilled, or baked. The white meat of the Maine lobster is located in the tail, claws, and knuckles. Meat can also be found in parts of the body and legs. The red material in the tail section is the coral "roe" or the female eggs and is considered a delicacy. The greenish material at the junction of the body and tail is "tomalley", which is actually the liver, and has a very unique "peppery" taste used in many recipes.

Don't worry about cooking live lobsters. Lobsters have a ganglionic nervous system (as opposed to a central nervous system), so they do not feel "pain" the same way that we do. The supposed "screaming" in the pot is actually the sound of steam escaping from the lobster's shell.

Cooking a lobster longer than the recommended times usually makes the meat too tough. When properly cooked, lobster meat is a creamy white, shells are bright red and the two front antennae pull out easily. A 1-2 pound whole lobster serves one person. A pound of meat can be removed from four to six lobsters weighing 1.25 pounds (typical market size). Approximately two cups of lobster meat equals one pound. For more Maine lobster and seafood cooking instructions be sure to visit our seafood cooking and handling guide.

Though Maine lobster is best enjoyed "in the rough" (cooked whole in the shell), it lends itself to a variety of recipes and styles. Celebrate, anytime of year, anywhere in the country, with the finest live Maine Lobster from LobsterAnywhere.com.
Happy Cracking!

Lobster Lingo

Lobster Sizes

Shorts or Snappers- A lobster under the legal size limit
Chickens- A lobster weighing about 1 pound
Culls- A lobster that has lost one or both claws.
Quarters-A lobster weighing 1-1/4 pounds.
Selects- A lobster weighing from 1 ½ to 1 3/4 pound
Deuces- A lobster weighing about 2 pounds
Jumbos- A lobster weighing over 2-1/2 pounds

Lobster Parts

Carapace:	Hard-shell of the lobster with the claws, knuckles and tail removed. It houses the legs, tomalley, and, in the females, the roe.

Claws:	The larger of the two claws is called the crusher claw and the smaller claw is called the pincer or cutter claw. They are full of tender, sweet meat.

Knuckles:	The two joints to connect the large claws to the carapace. Connoisseurs say the knuckle meat is the tastiest.

Tails:	The tail holds the biggest piece of meat in the lobster.

Legs:	The four pairs of legs contain small strips of meat that take some work to remove.

Roe:	The red stuff is the "coral" or tiny lobster eggs of the female lobster. The roe is black uncooked. Lobster eggs were once considered a delicacy, like caviar.

White Stuff:	The lobster blood, looks like egg whites, uncooked, it's clear. Try it in sauces.

Tomalley:	The light-green "tomalley" in the carapace of the lobster is the liver and pancreas. Although lobster lovers adore the rich as butter tomalley, it should not be eaten regularly. As with other animals, contaminants may settle in the liver, so its best to be on the safe side.

Lobster Rules:

	If you plan to ship or transport lobster, always choose active, hard-shell Maine lobsters from LobsterAnywhere.com

	If you plan to ship or transport lobster, always choose hard-shell Maine lobsters.

	The best way to keep lobster alive at home is to refrigerate them and cover with a damp cloth or newspaper.

	Do not immerse lobster in fresh water (in the sink or bathtub) or allow them to sit in melted ice. When transferring lobsters, pick them up by the body not the claws.

	Do not remove wooden pegs or rubber bands until after lobsters have been cooked.

	Whole, cooked lobsters should have their tails curled, a sign that they were alive when cooked.

How To Eat Maine Lobster

The first step to cleaning a lobster is to pull the claws and large legs away from the body. Then break the claw away from the leg. The seafood pick will help you remove the meat from the legs. Next crack the claw with your shell cracker, gently, as not to grind the shell into the meat. If you did it correctly, you should be able to pull the meat in one piece. Use a knife to trim away the soft membrane on the underside of the tail and pull out the meat in one piece using the seafood pick. Now throw all the shells over your shoulder and being dipping your well-deserve red lobster meat in some drawn butter!