Enjoying a Sweet Maine Lobster

Because of the Maine lobsters popularity, special care has been taken to protect their growing areas, and to keep the lobsters from being fished to extinction.  Size limits have been placed on the lobsters that can be kept for resale in order to allow younger lobsters to grow and reproduce.  The Maine also requires a special license to be obtained in order to harvest lobsters commercially.  This keeps the waters off of the coast of Maine to be overwhelmed by unregulated lobster boats.

Once caught, care must be taken in the handling of the lobsters.  Because the meat will spoil quickly, lobsters are kept alive until they are ready to be cooked or processed.  That is why when you go to your local seafood restaurant you will see a lobster tank in the front.  Fresh lobsters are kept alive in these tanks until they are ready to be cooked.

One thing that many people are not aware of is that lobsters can survive out of the water for up to two days, if they are kept refrigerated.  When the temperature dips below a certain point the lobster will go into a hibernation state.  It is best to refrigerate the lobster either in the container it was purchased in, or in an open container.  Do not put the lobster in an airtight container or it will suffocate and die.  Keep the lobster moist, and place it in the coldest part of your refrigerator.

Refrigerating the lobster is also a good option for people that are squeamish about putting a live lobster in a pot of boiling water.  If you refrigerate the lobster first, the boiling water will kill it before it leaves the hibernation state.

For cooking the fresh lobster, most people prefer quickly immersing it into a pot of boiling water.  Fill your pot with enough water to completely cover the lobster.  Add 1 tablespoon of salt for each quart of water, and bring it to a boil.  Once the water is boiling, drop your lobster into the pot.  You will need to cook it until the shell turns bright red.  The time it takes to cook will be different depending on the size of the lobster.  Some people like to steam or grill their lobster, but boiling is the quickest and easiest method.

Maine lobsters make for a delicious entrée.  Regardless of which method you use to cook it, your friends and family will enjoy any meal you put on the table centered around a fresh cooked lobster.