Lobster Buying Guide: How and Where to Buy Live Lobster

Of the dozens of species in the lobster family (Nephropidae or Homaridae) and the distantly related Palinuridae family, only four are commercially important:

1. 1. American lobsters (Homarus americanus), also known as Canadian or Maine lobsters, live in the cold waters off the Atlantic coast, from northeastern Canada to North Carolina. Their typically brown- or black-green shells turn bright red when submerged in boiling water. They are usually sold live or as frozen lobster tails, due to the meat’s tendency to deteriorate quickly. American lobsters are iconic in New England and popular throughout the United States.
2. 2. European lobsters (H. gammarus) live in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean, and the Black Sea. They are very similar in appearance to their American counterparts, but with dark blue instead of green shells.
3. 3. California spiny lobster (Palinurus interruptus) is a type of rock lobster that belongs to the Palinuridae family; it is not a true lobster, despite its resemblance to European and American lobsters. Instead of claws, it has distinctive long antennae. California spiny lobsters can be found on the Pacific coast.
4. 4. Caribbean spiny lobster (P. argus), like the California spiny lobster, is not a true lobster. Its meat is similar in texture and flavor to true lobsters, though it is less rich than that of American lobster and doesn’t have claws. West Indian spiny lobsters can be found from Bermuda to Brazil.

Cooking lobster starts with buying a great lobster, a process that can feel daunting to anyone who didn’t grow up in a lobster-fishing community. When buying lobster, there are three things to keep in mind:

1. 1. Live vs. frozen: Although it’s possible to purchase lobster tails or pulled lobster meat, fresh, whole lobsters have the best flavor. A dead lobster can start to become mushy within an hour due to enzymatic breakdown. It’s possible to remove the tail and claws and freeze them immediately for shipping, but whole lobsters should be alive before cooking. To check if your lobster is alive and healthy, pick it up. It should move its claws, legs, and tail. Hold the lobster’s carapace (the upper shell), and make sure the lobster holds its claws above its head (i.e., claws should not be drooping). Lobsters that don’t show signs of movement may be unhealthy and unfit to eat.
2. 2. Hard-shell vs. soft-shell: Hard-shell lobsters and soft-shell lobsters aren’t different varieties of lobster—they’re just at different stages of growth. Soft-shell lobsters are lobsters that have recently shed their old shells to make room for new ones. The newly-formed shells are thinner, so they’re easier to crack and pick. Since soft-shell lobsters have yet to grow into their new shells, you’ll find water in between the shell and the meat. Hard-shell lobsters, on the other hand, have a higher meat yield because they have grown into their shells. Since soft-shell lobsters do not ship well, you should only eat them locally.
3. 3. Male vs. female: For cooking purposes, the differences between male and female lobsters are negligible. Female lobsters have roe, which may be used for making coral oil or as a garnish for dishes. Typically, though, fishermen release egg-bearing females to reproduce and keep the lobster population stable.

In general, look for lobsters on the smaller end of the scale. Whole lobsters range in size from one-and-a-quarter-pound “chicks” to jumbo lobsters (three to four pounds). In Maine, the minimum size for legal harvest is one pound, and some areas enforce a maximum size as well, to protect older, larger lobsters. Although large lobsters might look impressive, smaller lobsters are more affordable and cook more evenly. If you’re new to cooking with lobsters, choose small lobsters: one-and-a-quarter-pound lobsters will be the easiest to work with.

As with any type of fresh seafood, when you’re buying lobster, it’s best to shop at a dedicated seafood market with high turnover. In the Northeast, it’s easy to find fish markets dedicated to selling locally-caught live lobsters. If your grocery store doesn’t sell fresh lobster, you can order fresh live lobster online directly from lobster companies. These will be hard-shell lobsters since soft-shell lobsters are too delicate to ship.

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