Lobster Prices

It is indubitably due to Barnum's Law: "There's a sucker born every minute."

You were in East Boothbay in July. The typical restaurant goer in East Boothbay in July is a tourist, who typically doesn't know lobster prices from the price of tea in China.

So, why did the restaurant charge so much? Because it could.

Not sure how many suckers there are, but no one in my party bought the lobster dinner. The price was out of line.

The Lobster Pound at Lincolnville Beach is advertising "a new lower price" for Lobster on its sign. No details.

Because just because the price of lobster is low, the cost of the rest of the dinner is not, and it is summer. We are being paid $2.35 as of last week, looks like there may be a tie up. We will haul our gear today and see what happens, not much we can do about it.

I'm doing everything I can to help out the lobster industry. MMMMMMM.

I don't understand why the market does not drive the price of dinners down. Restaurants compete with each other for customers. A simple boiled lobster dinner has just butter, bib, and perhaps a dinner roll. Their menu lists no price just "market". The Lobsterman's Wharf dropped in my estimation. I will think twice about eating there again.

How about Red's... have they lowered their ridiculous lobster roll price?

Why should Red's lower their prices? Every time I go by there are long lines of people just waiting to buy. A price isn't "ridiculous" if people are willing to pay it.

I overheard a guy say that the boat price in Machias was down to $1.50 yesterday.

We heard the guys from Stonington tied up, we also heard that the price was headed to $1.45. Not a good time to be a dealer let alone a lobsterman. But in the end we are at the mercy of the consumer. One of the biggest reasons for the low price is lack of market overseas, so all the dealers that would usually be shipping product are now selling them on the local market. That and Canada is having a great season.
Rumors are rampant, we even had a letter from the Commissioner telling us that there was nothing he could do, gee what a surprise
Another issue is the perception that the restaurant is paying boat price, they are not. And when they buy them from the dealer they are buying a certain size not whatever we catch etc. When we sell to friends etc we do not charge boat price we charge more, almost as much as what a dealer charges.

That's helpful Islander. What would you guestimate a restaurant now pays for a pound and a half hardshell?

For a 1.5 hardshell I would think they are paying about $6.50/lb, the boat price for hardshells is usually about $1/lb more than softshells. The difference between retail and wholesale is about .50/lb. Lots of people do not realize we work on a two price system, one for softshell and one for old shell. New shells (shedders) that are hard enough for shipment are not the same as a hardshell or old shell. An hardshell will be dark and maybe mossy, a new shell will be nice and clean, shiny.

We bought some lobster for the first time last weekend in a long time.
Lobster still seems like a luxury, even if it is less than $4 a lb.

Thanks Islander. So At $6.50 /lb from the dealer, a pound a a half lobster would cost just under $10. That is more than I thought.

The lobster we had Sunday was OK, not as good as it can be sometimes. I cook it the same, but the taste varies. Is there a good time of the year to buy, or what causes such swings in taste?

Glad you asked. There are two ways to screw up live lobster: Over cook to the point where the water boils dry or undercook where, while the shell may be bright red, the meat comes out pale and mushy. First can be too much heat or inattention, second is too low heat or not enough time. There is a third way but it applies to restaurants or markets that reuse old water to cook new lobster . . it's very common and the number 1 reason I'm not inclined to order lobster or steamers in a restaurant.

How to cook live lobster:

Start with a pot that is at least twice the volume of the lobster(s) you're about to cook. Use a heat source that will bring that pot of water to a rapid boil in 2- 3 minutes. That should be enough to maintain temperature throughout the boil.

Add enough water to cover the lobsters by at least an inch or two. Fresh seawater is ideal. If you use seaweed to 'season' fresh water, remove it when the water comes to a boil. Alternatively, add this to fresh water (proportions on package).

Bring the water to a rapid (rolling) boil. Drop the lobsters head first into the boil. If the first lobster knocks down the boil, wait for the boil to return and repeat with the rest. If, at any point, the boil fails to return, the party's over. Could be too much pot or water, not enough heat or burner. At this point, you're cooking a very expensive soup that's going to taste like crap.

This step is the only time you'll need to pay close attention: Once they're all in, reduce the heat to, at once, maintain a real boil but reduce the chance of a boil over. If you see a foam start to rise, back off the heat.

Cook the lobsters for 8 - 10 minutes but no more than 12. It really doesn't matter. 8 - 10 is correct but there are many people who insist that everything needs to be cooked at least _____ minutes. You can go to 12 - 15 for such morons but that lobster should be served immediately and everyone, while satisfied, will miss the best part.

Regardless, remove the lobster from the water. If you caved to the pressure of the over cookers, serve it immediately. If you're believing in taxfoe, reputable cooker and server of 60 or 70 thousand pounds, read on . .

THE SECRET: It can be as simple as draining the water from the pot, so long as the pot has a tight lid, to using a clean, odor free cooler. Place the cooked lobster in an appropriately sized and (roughly not absolutely) airtight container of choice and let them steep. A half hour is more than enough but 3 - 4 hours (cocktails) is doable and you'll still have hot lobster. The perfect 'clambake' is to cook and store the lobster, cook and serve the corn, sausage, potatos, etc, cook and serve the steamers and then serve the lobsters. Anyone who understands dogs and bone marrow or turkeybone soup will know where I'm coming from.

We actually steam them in about 3 inches of water, bring it to a boil put in lobsters and steam for about 18min depending on size, at least this how we have been cooking them since 1953. Or better yet have the dealer cook them for you! No matter how you cook them, just enjoy.
And the best deal is picked meat, no muss, no fuss. It takes 6lbs in the shell to make a pound of meat.

Picked up a few in town last Monday .The place had a large amount of lobsters on hand.
They were selling 5 chiixs for $ 25. Others wee 3.99 a lb. a Monday special ! Price was going to be $5.99 Tuesday on!
This I suppose was to reduce inventory.
Leading to this question ,how long can they be kept in tanks in store etc.?

We and some friends are having a lobster feed on Friday instead of the usual pizza & beer, just to try and help the industry out some.

" . . Or better yet have the dealer cook them for you!" Just more evidence that there really are some smart people here at AMG. This method will get you the steeping effect I went on about, above, and non of the hassles. Good call!

I would ad that, if it's convenient, drop off an appropriately sized, clean cooler to bring them home in. Alternatively, ask that they be packed in one of their shipping coolers. It's a few well spent dollars, you don't need the cardboard shell and the styrofoam is reusable for the next time around.

What does chiix mean? I thought the word chix was a slang shorthand for chickens. What does it have to do with lobsters? I "Binged" it but found nothing.

"What does chiix mean?"

The smallest, legal lobsters. Legal is gauged by the length of the carapice, or body shell. Soft shell chix can weigh as little as .8 pounds and most dealers will grade them up to about 1.1 pounds.

To many, this is lobster nirvana. If you don't mind shelling, a few or more small lobsters, per person, is the way to go. They're usually the cheapest, many say the sweetest and, pound for pound, the meat yield is similar to their higher priced relatives.

" . . how long can they be kept in tanks in store etc.?"

Indefinately. Aquariums keep them for years and years. It all comes down to the quality of the water and access to food. A retailer will try to keep 1 or 2 days inventory on hand with an eye to the weather and whether or not there'll be more fishing. Lobsters are cannibals. They might be happy with the your water but they do get hungry. If they've been tanked for too long, they start eating each other which cuts into profits and can kill the water in a recirculating system.

Look for bright, clear water and happy, snappy bugs.

I wanted to add one more thought in addressing Green-ee's dilemna . .

Who likes raw oysters? What makes raw oysters taste so good? The brine, right?

Lobsters are no different, especially soft shells/shedders, which, fresh from the ocean, can contain a lot of sweet, succulent, source sea water. If they are then moved quickly to a good, clean tank system, they will retain much of that SSSS water. If they are moved to marginal water, their very own on board water will be marginalized. If moved to a bad system, they die. If they come out of a nice fresh ocean or a reliable tank system and then spend too much time out of the water, the onboard water system will begin to drain. If it's a short trip, the effect will be minimal. Longer trips will mean more water/flavor loss to the point they lose it all and die. Exposure to heat/hot weather will accelerate that process. Ultimately, the flavor is going to have a lot do do with the quality of water they came from and the amount of time they've been out of it.

Islander's suggestion of having your RELIABLE dealer cook them makes a lot of sense.

My friend David makes some of the best lobster stew I've ever had. He specifically waits for soft shell season because he finds the soft shells sweeter. I never argue with a good cook who frequently invites me to dinner.

Thanks taxfoe alot of info. much appreciated.
Mrs. L. is a lover of soft shell smaller lobsters confirming the things you stated.

taxfoe is right if you're talking a bunch of lobsters. If you're just bringing home a few - 4 or so - then don't boil them steam them. Put about a half inch of water in the cooker, add something to keep the lobsters off the bottom of the cooker, or use a real steamer. Throw in the lobsters when the water steams and steam them, 8 - 10 minutes is plenty. I like them cooked a little less. That way they are cooked in their own juices. If I have a lot and need to boil them, I like to fill a couple of gallon jugs with seawater and use that.
Now I'm hungry.

"My friend David makes some of the best . . "

Your friend David will appreciate a gift of Maine Sea Salt. I was one of his first customers and give him a robust endorsement. It will enhance the flavor of any soup, stew or chowder. So, the next time he invites you over . .

A little bit about the Bay of Maine, it's salt and the quality of all seafood residing within it.

The Bay of Maine is unique to any other in the world. It sits at the intersection of the cold water Labrador Straights and the warm water Gulf Stream. The confluence of these two distinct currents forms a whirlpool within the bay and introduces a salt and nutrient mix unlike any other. That explains why so many species thrive as well as they do and it explains the unique flavors found only here when compared to otherwise, fairly common species. For example: Maine lobster is Homerus Americanus. Rhode Island lobster is Homerus Americanus. They are one and the same. The difference is, there aren't nearly as many off RI and they don't taste nearly as good. That same formula can be applied to any species. The higher up the coast you go, the more significant the bay effect becomes and the higher the quality of fish you get.

So there you have it. You really are sitting on something special. Like Islander said, enjoy it!

I am not a marine bioligist. If I recall correctly, the source for that information was the Maine Lobster Promotion Board website. I did a quick search, didn't see it currently but it's been a few years and I might not be looking in the right place. Regardless, it's not my original material; all credit to the source.

The rubber bands impart a taste/odor, right? I've been removing the bands before dropping them in the pot.

"The rubber bands . . "

I don't think I've ever tasted them. The only time I've smelled them was when I boiled the water out of the pan. I wouldn't discourage it but, if I were selling you the lobster, I wouldn't generally encourage it either . . a little too much liability for me.