Interesting Lobster Facts

The lobsters in our markets are homarus americanus, better known as American lobsters or Maine lobsters. They are recognizable by their large and powerful claws, even though they are only one of a large variety of lobsters around the world.

They are labeled according to size.

Chicken lobsters are the smallest and weigh in at just over 1 pound.

Select lobsters are the most in demand by restaurants and home cooks alike, weighing between 1 1/2 and 2 pounds.

Jumbo lobsters weigh 2 1/2 pounds and up, and they yield more meat than most people like to consume at one meal.

Culls are lobsters with only one mature claw. The other claw may have been lost in a fight or broken off in handling. Culls are often well priced and are a good choice if the meat will be taken out of the shell to be used in a recipe.

Always buy from a busy seafood market that turns over its inventory frequently. The lobster tank should be clean and not overcrowded.

When taken from the water, the lobsters should flap their tails and swing their claws like a prizefighter. If the claws are droopy and the lobster doesn't seem to have any fight, that means it is weak and will probably die soon.

Lobsters must be cooked alive. Buy them the day you plan to cook them.

The two most essential conditions for successfully storing lobster are moisture and low temperature. Lobsters should be kept moist but never wet. Tap water or any non-salt water will kill a lobster quickly, which is why it should never be stored on a bed of loose ice.

At the store, your live lobster may be placed in a bag or cardboard box, with seaweed if you ask for it, and a bag of ice. As an extra insurance policy, try to remember to toss a cooler into the car before you go shopping.

When transferring the critters from one container to another, mind your hands. Most lobsters have a sturdy rubber band holding the claws shut, but sometimes they come loose. Always pick up a lobster by placing your hand over the body behind the large claws. In this position the well-named crusher, or pincer claw, cannot reach you.

The ideal way to store a lobster at home is to wrap it gently in a damp sheet of newspaper, keeping it both moist and separated from the other lobsters. Why? Because lobsters aren't good roommates, and they tend to be fractious and nibble on each other. Thirty-six hours is an outside storage time.

Store at the coldest possible temperature above freezing available in the refrigerator, usually on the bottom shelf towards the back of the average fridge. Don't even think about the freezer.

Here's a little safety check. Once you have the lobsters in the fridge, there's still a chance that one or more might die. Check them from time to time. If they don't respond to your touch or if any appear dead or weak, cook them immediately. The meat can still be used in soups or salads. If the meat is not firm when you remove it from the shell, do not eat it, because the lobster was probably dead too long for it to be safely eaten. If the lobster has been dead for a long period of time, the meat will cook into an inedible mush.

On yields, figure on getting about 20 to 25 percent meat from each lobster. In other words, a 1-pound live lobster will give you 3 1/4 to 4 ounces of meat.

Summing up,

Buy your lobsters the day you plan to cook them, and transport and store them carefully.

Buy from a busy fish market with high lobster turnover.

Pick the right size for your needs.

Choose a healthy, lively, freshly caught lobster.

Never stick your hand into a bag of lobsters.

Keep them cold and damp.

What is all that stuff?

The carcass, or carapace, is the hard shell of the lobster with the claws, knuckles and tail removed. It houses the walking legs, tomalley and, in females, the roe.

If you will look the beast straight in the eye, know that the eyes are hardly more than ornaments, because lobsters tend to navigate their world by smell. The long antennae, or feelers, are used to explore. Short antennae are a sign that the lobster has been in captivity for a long time and may have been snack food for another lobster.

Blood is that clear liquid found throughout the lobster. When cooked, it turns white and looks something like egg white. Eat it or add to sauces, but never throw it away.

Of the two claws, the larger is the crusher and the smaller is the pincer. They are used to hold and tear food, and both are full of tender, sweet meat.

Each claw has a knuckle to connect it to the carcass. These are full of meat -- some say it is the sweetest part of the lobster.

Roe, or coral, are tiny eggs that turn orange as a sunset when cooked. Enjoy them for their little bursts of flavor.

Tomalley is the soft greenish mass that functions as the liver. You either love it for its rich flavor or hate it because you've allowed your fear of its gooshy looks to prevail. If so, take a chance and try it.

The walking legs contain tender strips of meat that take some doing to suck or squeeze out, but are worth the effort.

The tail is the biggest piece of meat in the lobster, and it is succulent, delicious and much prized.

How to cook fresh lobster

Allow one lobster per person. Bring salted water (about 1/4 cup salt per gallon water) to a rolling boil in a deep stock pot. Use enough water to completely immerse the lobsters. Figure 3 quarts of water per 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of lobster, taking into account that the pot should be filled no more than three-quarters full.

When the water is at a rolling boil, plunge the lobsters in head first. Cover, return to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer. A 1 1/4-pound lobster will take about 11 minutes. (One pound, about 8 minutes; 2 pounds, about 15 minutes.) Do not overcook or the delicate sweet meat will toughen. Lobsters may be steamed for the same time period. Broiling lobsters is not recommended as they tend to be dry.

Remove the lobster from the water to a paper or cloth-covered counter.

Punch a small hole in the spot right between the cooked lobster's eyes, using the heel of your cleaver or the tip of a small knife. Lean the lobster with its head down so that the liquids drain from the carcass. This creates less mess when the lobster is opened, and it also allows the tomalley to stay firm.

Now back to the surgery.

Lay the lobster on its back. Pull off the fan-shaped tail. Split down the center using a sharp knife. Retain the green liver (tomalley) and in female lobsters the red roe (coral). They are both delicious. Cover the claws with a kitchen towel, and using a hammer, crack them so that it's easy to get at the meat. Whisk to the table and serve with melted butter and lemon wedges.

Getting ready

While waiting for the water to come to the boil, get everything ready. Spread newspapers over an outside table. Dampen clean washcloths, fold, roll and place in a basket; at serving time, pop them into the microwave to heat and pass them around for wiping up butter-glistened hands and chins.

Set each place with a fork and lobster picks, or other type of metal or wooden skewer. Toss a few nut or lobster crackers on the table to share.

The table should also have glasses for beer and a big empty bowl or two for all the discarded shells.

Set out a loaf of French bread and melt butter to put into individual bowls. To make garlic butter, add one crushed clove of garlic for each stick of butter.

Chick - Up to 1.25 pounds.

Quarter - 1.25 to 1.5 pounds.

Select - 1.5 to 3 pounds.

Large Select - 3 to 6 pounds.

Jumbo - 6 pounds and up.

Some terms to know

Cull - a lobster with one claw of any size.

Bullet - a lobster without any claws of any size.

Tomalley - the liver of the lobster. Located in the body with a greenish color.  Is  loved by many as a delicacy.

Hard Shell - a lobster that has not shed it's shell.  Usually able to be seen very easily by either a very dark shell or any kind of growth on the shell. {barnacles, etc.}

Soft Shell - a lobster that has already shed and is beginning to harden and fill in it's shell.

Shedder - a lobster that have just shed it's shell. The lobster is very fragile and it's shell feels like skin. Since lobsters do not have a skeleton structure, they  must shed their shell in order to grow.

Male Lobster - a lobster which do not contain roe.  It's tail is about the same width at the bottom.

Female Lobster - a lobster which contains roe.  It's tail widens at the bottom in order to contain the eggs when ready.

Egger - a female lobster that has eggs on it's tale.  It is illegal to sell or possess a lobster with eggs on it's tale and is punishable by fines & possible jail time.

Short Lobster - a lobster that is not yet old enough to catch.  It is illegal to sell or possess a short lobster and is punishable by fines & possible jail time.

Weak - a lobster that is weak.  Reasons vary greatly, but usually due to being out of the water for some time, cracked shell, or low oxygen in the water.  Weak  lobsters can still be cooked.