The North American Lobster is harvested from a wild resource in the ocean waters along the northeast Atlantic Coast of Canada and the United States, from Newfoundland to North Carolina.
Lobsters grow by molting or shedding their shell. In the summer months when the water is warmer lobster migrate inshore and shed their old shell exposing a softer much larger shell that will harden throughout the year. During this time, lobsters bury themselves in the mud to protect them natural predators. It takes approximately 7 years for a lobster to grow to 1¼ pounds during which time they molt often. As they get older they molt only once a year to once every two years.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest recorded North American lobster ever caught weighed 44 lbs. 6 ounces and was between 3 and four 4 long. It was caught in 1977 off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada.
Live North American lobsters are normally a greenish blue color. The shell color is made up of pigments. When it is cooked, all the pigments are masked except for astaxanthin, which is the red background pigment.
The tomalley is the lobster's liver and pancreas. It is often thought to be a delicious treat, however many advise against eating the tomalley. According to the Advanced Seafood Handbook, "there are no known safety considerations when it comes to eating lobster meat. However, consumers are advised not to eat the tomalley, the light green substance found in the lobster's carapace. This is the liver and pancreas, which are thought to accumulate contaminants from the environment. Much like the liver of other animals, the lobster's tomalley is the natural filter for contaminants, like dioxins, from entering the system. It is a reassuring indication of the lobster's natural defense system at work, keeping the lobster meat wholesome, nutritious and delicious."
That red "stuff" is the lobster roe or coral. It is the female lobster's unfertilized eggs. Lobster roe if often considered a gourmet delicacy.
Lobsters are invertebrates with a very primitive nervous system. Human beings and other vertebrates possessing an advanced nervous system feel pain. A lobster's nervous system is low on the evolutionary scale and is designed to respond to very basic stimuli contained within their habitat. Also, lobsters do not have vocal cords; therefore the sound that is often thought to be a scream is actually air escaping from the lobster's shell.
For freshness, it is recommended that you cook live lobsters immediately within 24 hours of purchase. Live lobsters can be stored up to two days if placed in the coldest part of the refrigerator in the bag they were in at the time of purchase or in an open container. It is best to keep them moist with a damp towel or newspaper. Do not immerse lobsters in water or place on ice in an airtight container as they will suffocate and die. If you keep them at this cold temperature as described above, they will stay in their "hibernation state" until you're ready to cook them.
A 1 lb. lobster yields approximately ⅔ cup of meat. A 1½ lb. lobster yields approximately 1⅓ cups of meat.
It is difficult to tell the exact age of a lobster because it sheds it shell regularly removing most of the evidence of age. It is believed that a 1 lb. lobster is between 5 and 7 years old.
