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Lobster Fun Facts
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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.
But let's be specific, to really be called
a Maine Lobster, it should be caught in
the clean, cold waters of Maine. Water temperatures
and pollution conditions vary wildly in
the other areas where “Maine Lobster” are
caught. The coastal conditions in Maine
produce the finest lobster anywhere. Make
sure you’re buying real Maine Lobster. Ask
where the pound is, who the lobsterman or
coop is and where the lobsters are being
shipped from. There are a lot of people
on the Internet selling “Maine Lobster”
who are not operating from Maine and we
can only guess where they get their “Maine
Lobster” from.
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 as well.
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!!! |
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