Have you ever bought seafood, specifically lobster, and asked yourself: How to buy lobster meat properly? When looking at a lobster tank, you start to wonder which is the best one in it, don’t you? If your answer is yes, don’t hesitate to scroll down; since Fishermen’s Net is going to give you some tips to buy the tastiest lobsters.
Make Sure You Know The Source When Buying Lobster Meat
The most essential thing when buying lobsters, or any other seafood is to make sure that they have been caught in a sustainable way. Moreover, you should know the source of them! Lobsters that have been MSC-certified are caught in the wild of some countries such as America, Canada, Australia, Norway and the Netherlands.
The case if you’re buying Canadian or Maine lobster down in Florida, it’ll also depend on the time of year: it’ll be cheaper to get a Canadian lobster in the early and end part of the year. And Maine lobster will be more affordable during Maine lobster season, probably from June into September or October.
Should You Choose Between Live Or Frozen Lobster?
Although you can easily buy lobster parts such as lobster tails, claws, lobster meat, etc., fresh whole lobsters are still the best, and they must be alive before cooking. When you pick up a live lobster, you should see it move its claws, legs, and tail. Lobsters that do not move much may be unhealthy and unfit to eat.
After catching lobster, the lobsters will be kept in a tank where they do not have any food. Then, if they are left starving for too long, they will eat themselves from the inside. Eventually, they become weaker, and you don’t want that to happen! Therefore, be careful to check if the shell is still flawless, and not cracked or broken in any way.
A Big Lobster Is Better Than 2 Small Lobsters
If you want the best experience when enjoying lobsters, you should choose a big lobster rather than 2 small ones. The reason for buying the bigger ones is because it is much easier to take the meat out of the shell. In other words, larger lobsters help to waste less compared to smaller ones. This is especially a true fact for the lobsters’ claws.
You might consider buying the lobster jumbo on sale right now.
Be Sure That You Can Distinguish Between 2 Lobster Types
There are two lobster types including hard-shell and soft-shell lobster. By distinguishing between them, you can know whether the lobster has recently molted or not. Soft-shell lobster is a little bit sweeter and more enjoyable to eat. However, it also has very little meat, and most of the inside of the shell is water. On the other hand, hard-shell lobster meat can be a bit tougher and fishier. Even so, it still delivers a tasty meal if cooked properly. Find out more different types of lobster.
Purchase Lobsters With Clean Claws
If a lobster’s claws are clean with vibrant red, it certainly has just shed its shell. With lobsters that have been molted for a long time, their claws will appear scraped after banging against rocks.
Opt For Lobsters That Do Not Emit Any Smell
When it comes to buying lobsters, you do not need a good nose. This is because fresh lobsters do not emit any smell.
Select Just-have-been-caught Lobsters
As we have already mentioned above, when you stop feeding lobsters, they will start eating themselves from the inside. In other words, they will use the excess protein inside to keep themselves full. Therefore, to enjoy a flavourful dish, you should cook the lobsters as soon as they leave the sea.
Pick Lobsters With Long Antennae
One more tip to buy lobsters is to notice their antennae. The lobsters’ antennae will be nibbled down right to the base when living in the tank for too long. That is the reason why you should choose a lobster with a long antenna!
Male Vs Female Lobster
The advantage of female lobsters is that they may have roe, this is the edible part and can be used as coral oil or a garnish for dishes. But they are often released by fishermen because the female carries the roes to breed and keep the lobster population stable.
How To Choose The Right Size Lobster?
Lobsters range in size from chicken lobster (1 1/4 pound) to jumbo lobsters (3 - 4 pounds). In Maine, lobsters are caught at a minimum size of one pound, and some areas also enforce a maximum size to protect older, larger lobsters. Smaller ones are more affordable and easier to cook, with 1 1/4 pound lobsters being the most popular choice.
Find out more: How much meat in a lobster?
Be Sure To Enjoy The Lobsters Before They Enjoy Themselves!
Once again, it is vital for you to remember that lobsters eat their own nutrients when being left hungry, affecting the flavor of their meat. Thus, you ought to cook the lobster as soon as they have been got out of the water.
What To Do Once You've Bought Lobster?
For lobster meat
If you choose to order a live lobster or lobster tail and peel it yourself to get the lobster meat, these instructions will make the process easy and even fun.
How to cook frozen lobster meat?
For live lobster
Steaming is better than boiling. If you put an inch of water in the pot and steam the lobster instead of boiling it, we think the meat will be slightly sweeter and you tend to retain a bit more flavor.
If you choose to order a live lobster or lobster tail and shell it yourself to get the lobster meat, these instructions will make the process easy and even fun. Check out our blog on our website for more seafood cooking inspiration.
Those are 11 useful tips on how to buy lobster meat. Fishermen’s Net hopes that this blog has given you advantageous information related to lobsters.Here at Fishermen’s Net, we provide customers with the highest-quality lobsters and other seafood daily. Feel free to contact us via the below contact information if you have any further questions or requests.
- Website: www.mualobster.com
- Address: 849 Forest Ave, Portland, ME 04103.
- Tel: +1 (207) 772-3565.
