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The Food We Cook - Buying and Storing Lobster

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BUYING AND STORING LOBSTER
Whole Lobster
Whole lobster is usually bought live or pre-cooked. The majority of the lobsters sold live are Maine or common lobster. Because of their large claws they have more meat. Allow
1 ½ -2 pounds per serving. A one pound live lobster will yield about 4 ounces of cooked meat. A two pounder should yield about 8 ounces. When buying live lobster assure that the lobster is lively, when picked up it should look active not lethargic. If it is not active it has probably been in the tank too long. If that happens they tend to lose muscle and taste.
Make sure the shell is thick and hard. Lobsters, like other shellfish, have to shed their shell in order to allow their body to grow. A young lobster does this up to 25 times a year while older, mature ones only molt once or twice a year. Lobster with flexible shells have recently molted which causes the meat to get watery and less tasty. The younger and smaller the lobster, the more tender the meat will be. Live lobster can usually be kept in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours with a moist towel on them.
Sizes of whole lobster;
Chicken lobster: ¾ to 1 pound
Quarters: 1 pound to 1 ½ pound
Large: 1 ½ pound to 2 ½ pound
Jumbo: over 2 ½ pounds
Frozen Tails
Because they have very small claws and large meaty tails, the spiny lobster is used when marketing frozen tails.
Cold-water tails are more expensive than warm-water but they are worth the investment. The cold-water have a firmer meat and are tastier because of the slower growth in cold water. The quality of warm-water tails is not as reliable as the cold-water. On occasion they can become mushy or fall apart after cooking. This happens very seldom with cold-water tails.
Buy raw lobster tails only if frozen solid, watching for signs of age. Look for cottony areas on the meat which is a sign of freezer burn. If they are packaged check for frost or ice in the package which is a sign that they have been thawed and re-frozen. Do not buy tails with any dark spots on the meat. On the bottom of the tail, check for dark meat especially towards the end of the tail. Keep tails frozen for up to 6 months. Thawing can be best done in the refrigerator for 24 hours. In a hurry they can be placed in a plastic bag under cold running water.
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