If you have a craving for lobster, you might be overwhelmed on what to choose when you are looking down at the lobster tank in your nearest grocery store. Even worse, you might be wondering what to do with the lobster once you get home. Here are a few useful tips on how to buy lobsters in the supermarket and the right preservation procedure to use at home. Keep in mind that you should not remove the rubber bands placed on the claws. Also, remember that lobsters have cannibalistic tendencies.

When you are looking to buy lobster, remember that lobsters can be categorized into two including the soft shell and hard shell lobsters. The classification is determined by whether or not the lobster has shed. A soft-shelled lobster has sweeter meat and is often more enjoyable to eat. However, they are not as hearty because they don’t travel as much as their counterparts. On the other hand, hard-shell lobsters often have tougher but fishier type of meat. Here’s what you need to know about buying the right one.

a) Look At The Underbody

If you take a look at the lobster’s underbody, especially the claws, you will notice that they are vibrant red in color. Lobsters with a new shell have clean claws. However, those with an old shell have scrapes incurred when they bang against rocks during the year. That’s the easiest way to identify whether it’s a soft shell or a hard shell lobster.

b) Smell Doesn’t Matter

You can’t use smell to identify whether or not a lobster is good because they don’t have any odor when they are alive.

c) Prepare It Immediately

You need to prepare your lobster immediately you get home before it starts consuming itself. Note that, with time lobsters start consuming their nutrients, removing the flavor found in the meat. Therefore, the longer they stay out of water, the less sweet they might be.

Note that, if you stop feeding the lobster, it will start utilizing the excess proteins found in the body, especially when in an environment where there is no food. Therefore, you need to find a lobster that’s come out of the ocean and prepare it immediately to savor all the nutrients.

d) Check The Size Of The Antennae

Note that, if a lobster stays too long out of water, especially with others, they will start eating each other’s antennae. Take a good look at the holding tank in your local store and you will find that the lobsters that have been there for a long time don’t have antennae. That’s because they have been nibbled down to the base. So you need to look for lobsters with long antennae for the best results.

e) Location

If you are getting your lobster from a grocery store close to the source, it is bound to be fresher. However, if you are buying Maine or Canadian lobster from another location, it wouldn’t really matter where you are buying from since these places are too far from the sources. On the other hand, it might depend on the time of the year.

For instance, you can get a Canadian lobster in the first or last part of the year more affordably. Also, you can get Maine lobsters during the middle part of the year more affordably especially between June and October.

f) Try Steaming

Did you know that steaming a lobster is much better than boiling? Therefore, place about an inch of water in a pot then steam it instead of dipping it into boiling water. That way, the meat will be sweeter because it will retain a lot more of the flavor.

In conclusion, if you have always been afraid or overwhelmed when it comes to getting and preparing lobster, you can now do it effortlessly, thanks to these amazing tips. Try them out today and enjoy a delicious meal!