Maine Lobster Facts & Information
How to Cook Maine Lobsters
The two most common ways to cook Maine lobsters are steaming and boiling.
To steam Maine Lobsters:
- Put about 2 inches of salted water in the bottom of a large kettle.
- Bring the water to a rolling boil and put in the live Maine lobsters, one at a time.
- Cover the kettle and return water to a rolling boil. Reduce heat.
- Allow 18 minutes of steaming time for 1.25lb Maine lobsters in the hard shell.
To boil Maine lobsters:
- Fill a large kettle 3/4 full of water. Add two tablespoons of salt for each quart of water.
- Bring the water to a boil. Put in the live Maine lobsters, one at a time.
- Bring the water to a boil again. Cover.
- Reduce heat and simmer lobsters for 15 minutes for 1.25lb Maine lobsters in the hard shell.
- If the lobster is a soft shell or new shell, reduce boiling time by three minutes.
Maine Lobster Nutrition Information
Maine lobsters are high in potassium, magnesium, Vitamin A, B12, B6, B3, B2, calcium, phosphorous, iron, zinc, and amino acids. When compared to turkey and chicken, they are low in cholesterol and saturated fats. They also help to reduce the risks of heart disease and stroke. Maine lobsters are a low-fat source of protein, vitamins and minerals, including:
- Zinc: Essential for a healthy immune system, increased brain activity and overall health.
- Phosphorus: A primary component of healthy bones, teeth, gums and many other tissues, phosphorus also promotes healthy kidney function.
- Vitamin B12: Also known as cobalamin, Vitamin B12 maintains healthy nerve cells and red blood cells.
- Copper: Copper is a trace mineral that has been proven to ward off several dangerous conditions including: osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis and colon cancer.
- Selenium: In addition to promoting the normal function of the immune system and thyroid gland, Selenium also protects cells against the effect of free radicals during normal oxygen metabolism.
Maine lobster has only 98 calories in 3 1/2 ounces of meat with only 5 of them from fat while providing 21 grams of protein. (Nutrition facts from calorie-count.com.)
About Maine Lobsters
Lobsters are invertebrates with a hard shell that live on the muddy environment at the bottom of the ocean. These creatures belong to the class Crustacean of the Phylum Arthropoda.
There are two kinds of lobsters found in the United States, the Maine lobster and the spiny lobster. The Maine lobster is otherwise called the American lobster, the Massachusetts lobster, or the North Atlantic lobster. The spiny lobsters have no claws but have a pair of horns above the eyes. A male lobster is called a cock whereas the female is called a hen or a chicken.
A lobster has 19 body parts and each of them is covered by a section of its tough shell. It possesses a hard exoskeleton, sensory antennae, segmented body, compound eyes on stalks, a tail fan, and four pairs of jointed walking legs. They are gill breathers and come in variety sizes and forms. They are found in blue, red, yellow, and white colors. Their sizes range from 2-12 inches. As per the Guinness Records, the largest lobster weighed over 44 pounds i.e. 20 kilograms. It was caught in Nova Scotia in Canada.
A lobster's brain is the size of a grasshopper's brain. It takes about five to seven years for lobster to mature. The normal life span of a lobster is around 15 years and some of them live even for 50 years. Lobsters can be caught the year-round. Based on a couple of aspects, the actual date of the lobster season varies. The American lobster can be seen in abundance from March through December.
Lobster traps are considered the best technique to catch lobsters. With the increased demand for lobster meat, it has become one of the most sought-after among the seafood industries in the global market place. Some of the tastiest ways in preparing lobsters include bisque, sauce, salad, stew, newburg, tail, bake, fritters, lobster chili, rolls, and thermidor. Check out our Maine Lobster Recipes for more ideas.