July 4th Lobster Prices are Right

Posted on June 29, 2023

With July temperatures warming up the Maine seacoast, lobsters are once again in their lively season making them easier to catch and the daily haul more plentiful, resulting in new low summer-season lobster prices.

That is because the more the lobster moves around in the beautiful Atlantic Ocean the more likely they are to stop by to investigate some fisherman’s lobster trap. This also means it is more likely the lobster will also end up as the guest-of-honor in someone’s lobster pot.
And how cool is it that this good news of new low lobster prices comes right at the best time of year for outdoor entertaining. Now backyard lobster chefs everywhere can all look like heroes without breaking the budget.

Lobsters are lethargic in colder water but as the summer sun warms up the coastal waters they begin to become more active.
This time of year the lobster are busy hunting for new food sources, looking for new homes to hide in and on the lookout to mate. A tasty free meal in a fisherman’s trap is often too hard for a busy lobster to resist. All along the Maine and Massachusetts seacoast, locals and tourists are enjoying lobster dinners at low seasonal prices. For lobster lovers who can’t get to Maine, don’t worry. There are lobster services that will ship fresh, live lobster right off the boat direct to the consumer anywhere in the country.

Today seafood lovers can order fresh lobster, steamers, oysters, scallops, fish and all the best seafood New England has to offer and have it shipped overnight direct to their front door. This month lobster prices are 15-to-20 percent less than just a month ago.

.
For many people, now is the time to take advantage of summer prices and plan that family lobster clambake. Some folks even have lobster shipped to their favorite vacation destination. Indeed, summer is the time to celebrate lobster as often as possible.
All the signs are in place for another record Maine lobster catch.

According to a report from the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR), more than 93 million pounds of lobster were caught in Maine waters during 2010. This giant catch represents an estimated increase of 12 million pounds of lobster from the previous 2009 record of 81 million pounds.
So here’s to another good season, and plenty of good eating. July 4th and the lobster prices are low.

© 2023 Wayne Howe All Rights Reserved

Cooking lobster and recipes

Maine Lobster Picnic Made Easy with Portable Propane Steamer

Posted on June 21, 2023

Planning a big outdoor, family picnic with lots of Maine lobster? Make outdoor preparation easy and fast with a portable, propane lobster cooker. Working just like a gas grill, the big lobster pot sits outside on a portable burner with stand. The cooker keeps the heat, water and mess outside and away from the kitchen. And most important, it keeps the lobster close to the picnic tables and guests.

A portable cooker easily allows the chef to deftly pop the lobsters in an out and keep them coming for all the hungry guests. Ranging in size from 30 to 50 gallons, the bigger pots can cook up to ten or more medium sized Maine lobsters at a time.

Two Pound Steamed Maine Lobsters

There are many brands to choose from, but the quality lobster-pot set ups come with a stand, propane burner, aluminum pot with ridges and an internal steamer basket. This gives the cook the option of steaming the lobsters or boiling them. The internal basket is a must if you want to prepare hefty amounts of steamer clams, mussels, crabs or crawfish. The cook can also use the basket to make a clambake by adding, lobster, shellfish, potatoes, onions, corn and more.

Cooking Maine Lobster with Portable Gas Burner

A good quality unit with plenty of BTUs will get the water boiling fast and keep it boiling (Don’t skimp on the BTUs unless you have a lot of patience). Here are a few helpful hints:

Set the unit up away from foot traffic to avoid accidents but close to a water source so you can easily add water as needed.
Make sure to buy fresh Maine lobster and keep them cool right up until you are ready to cook them. A cooler holding just the lobster with plenty of frozen gel packs and wet newspaper is the best solution. Do not use ice or put them in fresh water. The lobsters will perish immediately in fresh water.
Fill the pot about 2/3 of the way and add two tablespoons of sea salt per gallon.
Lobster pot with steamer basket and portable gas burner makes outdoor cooking easy.
Set the burner to high and bring the water to a roiling boil. Place the live lobster head first into the pot one at a time. You may leave the bands on the claws.
Leave enough room in the pot so you can stir the lobsters from top to bottom so they cook evenly.
After the lobster are in the pot, allow the water to return to a roiling boil, cover the pot and start timing. A 1-½ pound lobster will be done in 14 minutes. Do not overcook. When done the lobster will be bright red and will usually float to the top of the pot.
To steam the lobster instead of boiling, add enough water to cover the bottom of the basket. Add salt. Bring water to a boil, add the lobster headfirst and cover. Stir the lobster a couple of times so they cook evenly. A 1-½ pound lobster will steam in 14 minutes.
As the lobster are cooked and removed you can add more to the pot to make it easy to keep them coming. Add water as needed.
Allow the lobsters to drain a minute before serving.

A word of caution, these portable units are built to hold the weight of all that hot water and the lobsters. Don’t go off and try to put a lobster pot on one of those small portable propane burners or stoves you might use to make an omelet on. The water weight alone will crush it.

Lobster Maine Steamed Lobster

Traditional Steamed Maine Lobster Recipe

Posted on June 19, 2023

STEAMED MAINE LOBSTER RECIPE

Outdoor cooking season leaves lobster chefs with the decision of either steaming or boiling lobster. The easiest way to cook, serve, and pick clean Maine Lobster is by boiling it. When it comes to steaming, this often gives the best results for eating. With a more gentle process of cooking lobster meat, steaming preserves its flavor and tenderness. This cooking technique makes it difficult to overcook the meat and can be forgiving with timing. Don’t wait to try this traditional steamed Maine lobster recipe.

How Long to Steam Maine Lobster Recipe?

Traditional Lobster Kettle

The first step is to obtain some freshly caught old shell Maine lobster that is available up to 2.5 pounds. Older shell lobsters are usually stronger and healthier with more meat than new shell lobster. When you choose the lobster that’s right for your meal use a big four to five-gallon kettle or pot with a tight lid and a bottom steaming rack. This size pot should be able to easily handle up to eight pounds of lobster. When placing the lobsters in the pot make sure to not crowd to avoid uneven results.

Begin cooking by adding two to three inches of sea water to cover the bottom of the pot. If you don’t have access to the Atlantic Ocean you can use filtered fresh water and add lots of sea salt; one to two tablespoons per quart.

Place the steaming rack inside the pot and use high heat to bring the water to a roiling boil. If you wish, you may remove the rubber lobster claw bands. One at a time, place the live lobster head first into the pot and cover. Start timing the lobster and do not overcook.

Lobster Steaming Times (Old Shell Weight)

1 pound, 8-10 minutes
1 ¼ pounds, 10-12 minutes
1 ½ pounds, 12-14 minutes
1 ¾ pounds, 15-17 minutes
2 pounds, 16-18 minutes
2 ½ pounds, 18-20 minutes
3 pounds, 20-30 minutes
5 pounds, 35-45 (or more) minutes

*If you’re using new shell lobster reduce time by 3 minutes.

Halfway through the allotted cook time, open the lid and move the lobster around in the pot. Shifting is important for an even cook. You may add a little more water if necessary. To determine when the lobsters are fully cooked the lobster shell will be bright red and the meat white.

What’s the best way to tell when the lobsters are done?

Large lobsters’ shell can be red but may not be fully cooked and lobsters on top of the pot may not have cooked as quickly as the ones on the bottom. A great way to see if your lobster is done is to give one of the lobster antennae a pull while in the steamer pot. If the antenna pops off it’s a good indicator of being fully cooked. You can also use tongs to remove one lobster and cut a small slice at the bottom of the tail to see if the meat is fully white.

Allow steamed lobster to drain for a minute since it will continue to cook for a minute even after it’s taken out of the pot. When setting a time keep this in mind to avoid overcooking. You may pierce the body and tail with a knife to help drain the water. Then serve right away with a side of melted butter and a slice of lemon.

Older Posts