How to Buy a Maine Lobster
Choose the correct animal., Determine the size of the lobster you need., Buy a lobster at a seafood market., Buy live lobsters online if you cannot find them locally.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose the correct animal.
Although other warm water parts of the world have animals called lobster-rock and spiny, for example-only the cold waters off the New England coast are home to true Maine lobsters.
Maine lobsters are distinctive do to their large claws that are full of meat.
The rock and spiny lobsters have no claws, so their tail only produces meat.
Maine lobsters molt from July through October and some of the animals caught during this time are known as "soft-shell." There is less meat in a soft-shell lobster and, therefore, they are usually less expensive than the hard-shelled.
Many people, though, believe that the meat of the soft-shell lobsters is more sweet than that of the hard-shell. -
Step 2: Determine the size of the lobster you need.
In general, the typical Maine lobster is about 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 lbs. (.6 to .8 kg), although they are available in smaller or larger sizes.
If you are in need of a specific amount of lobster meat, you should estimate that 5-to-6 lbs. (2.3-to-2.7 kg) of soft-shell lobster and 4 1/2-to-5 1/2 lbs. (2-to-2.5 kg) of hard-shell lobster will yield 1 lb. (.5 kg) of meat. , If you have a reputable seafood purveyor near you, you can probably buy a Maine lobster there.
Many markets have large tanks where the lobsters live until they are bought.
Always be sure to buy a lobster that is active and moving its legs energetically.
Reject any animal that seems limp or is barely moving. , Many lobster pounds in Maine and other New England states will ship freshly caught lobsters to you using dry ice and overnight shipping.
This will cost more than buying them from a seafood market, but you can be sure the lobsters are very fresh. -
Step 3: Buy a lobster at a seafood market.
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Step 4: Buy live lobsters online if you cannot find them locally.
Detailed Guide
Although other warm water parts of the world have animals called lobster-rock and spiny, for example-only the cold waters off the New England coast are home to true Maine lobsters.
Maine lobsters are distinctive do to their large claws that are full of meat.
The rock and spiny lobsters have no claws, so their tail only produces meat.
Maine lobsters molt from July through October and some of the animals caught during this time are known as "soft-shell." There is less meat in a soft-shell lobster and, therefore, they are usually less expensive than the hard-shelled.
Many people, though, believe that the meat of the soft-shell lobsters is more sweet than that of the hard-shell.
In general, the typical Maine lobster is about 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 lbs. (.6 to .8 kg), although they are available in smaller or larger sizes.
If you are in need of a specific amount of lobster meat, you should estimate that 5-to-6 lbs. (2.3-to-2.7 kg) of soft-shell lobster and 4 1/2-to-5 1/2 lbs. (2-to-2.5 kg) of hard-shell lobster will yield 1 lb. (.5 kg) of meat. , If you have a reputable seafood purveyor near you, you can probably buy a Maine lobster there.
Many markets have large tanks where the lobsters live until they are bought.
Always be sure to buy a lobster that is active and moving its legs energetically.
Reject any animal that seems limp or is barely moving. , Many lobster pounds in Maine and other New England states will ship freshly caught lobsters to you using dry ice and overnight shipping.
This will cost more than buying them from a seafood market, but you can be sure the lobsters are very fresh.
About the Author
Raymond Richardson
Enthusiastic about teaching lifestyle techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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