What Are the Qualities of the Best Lobsters?
Once the fare of peasants and prisoners, the humble lobster is now considered a delicacy. These days, when you buy live lobsters from Maine especially at www.getmainelobster.com, you can expect them to fly to your door first-class! These flavorful, tender seafood superstars are more than worthy of the extra legroom.
Only the best lobsters deserve the celebrity treatment, however, so beware. Some lobsters are mere impostors and lack the flavor and texture that we come to expect from the world’s most delicious crustaceans. When you have live lobsters shipped to your home, will you know if you’re looking at the real deal?
If you’re looking to buy live Maine lobsters online, you should do your research. Read on to learn what you should consider if you’re looking for the highest quality lobsters. These tips can help clue you in as you seek out the best place to order live Maine lobsters!
Maine Lobsters
Although open to interpretation, almost anyone you ask will tell you that the Maine Lobster is the true VIP of the lobster world. These lobsters are beloved for their tender and flavorful claw and tail meat. The meat is firmer and more fibrous than any other kind of lobster, with a distinctive, briny flavor that makes it so popular.
This is due to a few factors, include the salt content and temperature of the oceans in and around Maine. For this reason, even Canadian and Floridian lobsters don’t quite compare on the flavor front.
This lobster will always be the most expensive when ordered from a restaurant. The price becomes more affordable the closer you get to Maine. You’ll find the best prices in New England and Canada, and live lobsters are the least expensive of all.
Even at the lower price point, buying lobster from Maine makes a big difference for the local economy. Fishing is a huge industry in Maine, and lobster fishermen make a major impact on the economic growth in the state.
Maine lobsters have a longer season than most, which means you are more likely to eat Maine lobster when it’s tasting its best. Their thin shells mean that even the smallest Maine lobster has more meat than other varieties.
Lobster Size
Fishermen cannot catch a lobster unless it has reached a certain size. This means that, by the time a lobster is for sale, it is most likely the appropriate size for eating.
Even so, lobster meat is at a premium, so if you have a choice, go big. The smaller the lobster, the less delicious tail and claw meat. A bigger lobster will be much more satisfying, especially if you are putting in the work to butcher a live one.
A good serving of lobster is about one and a half pounds per person. A smaller lobster will be disappointing. A larger lobster can easily become a feast!
Shell Type
You can purchase hard shell and soft shell lobsters. The shell changes based on the season. A Maine lobster can come in both hard and soft shell varieties depending on when you purchase them.
Maine lobster season usually begins by the end of June and lasts through about December. You’ll know it’s peak lobster season when you see lobster rolls hitting the menu at your favorite restaurants, usually around July. This is when lobsters are in great supply and taste their best!
During peak lobster season, shells tend to be softer. You can think of this as lobsters dressing for a beach day in July and August. As the weather shifts toward Fall, lobster shells harden against colder temperatures.
Soft-shelled lobsters are easier to eat because a softer shell is much easier to break into than a hard shell. A hard-shelled lobster is often larger, as it will have already molted. If you want more meat, it might be worthwhile to put in a little more work to break through a harder shell.
If you don’t want to put too much muscle into it, you won’t be missing out. While soft shell lobsters are smaller, the thin shell allows more saltwater to season the meat. That lends them a sweet and delicious flavor that is lacking once their shells thicken.
The season will usually dictate the thickness of the shell. During the middle of the season, however, you are likely to find a combination and will have your choice. Whichever way you go, you’re in for a treat!
Other Considerations
A lot goes into what makes one lobster taste better than another. Foremost, freshness will play a role. If a lobster is traveling a long way to get to your plate, it might lose some of that sea-seasoned flavor that makes them so irresistible.
This is why so many lobster fans have a preference for live lobster. Even if you live nowhere near Maine, a live lobster will arrive fresh and ready to be eaten. You will have to do the hard work of slaying the beast yourself, and you can discover more on the internet.
The age of the lobster is also something worth considering. An older lobster will have tougher meat than a younger lobster. You’re unlikely to purchase a lobster of a certain age, however, as fishermen tend to throw those back.
A lobster is also only as delicious as its environment. Have you ever heard “you are what you eat?” The same is true for lobsters, whose regular diet will influence their health and, therefore, their flavor.
The Best Lobsters Come From Maine
All in all, you can’t go wrong with a Maine lobster caught during peak season. Their delicious tails, seasoned by the oceans of Maine, taste like nothing else on Earth. If you keep all of the above in mind, you’ll soon be feasting on the world’s best lobsters like a king!
Was this post the Catch of the Day? There’s a lot more food content where that came from! Check out the rest of the blog for more posts that will fill you up!
