All this talk of lobster leads us to today's post. Interesting Facts about Lobster! Now since we're professing "Fresno Has Taste", we must be well-educated about our food. So, read on... below are some interesting and fascinating facts about our beloved crustacean, the Lobster!
First we'll talk about the lobster - as the crustacean that it is. Many people don't know that lobster's aren't red. In fact, they are green or yellow or even bright blue in nature. It's when they are thrown into that pot of boiling water or under a broiler that they turn red. I suppose we would too!
Speaking of their shells, lobsters shed their shells, or molt. A female lobster can only mate just after she has molted.We'll get on to reproduction in a moment. A soft-shelled lobster is one that has just molted - and at that time they are in a growing phase. Many say that the soft-shelled lobster has sweeter, more tender meat. Soft-shelled lobsters are called "shedders" and are generally caught from July to October. As the molting phase takes a toll on the energy of the lobster, they are extremely hungry after molting and eat voraciously. Often they will even eat the shell that they have just shed. The benefit to that is that it replenishes the calcium lost during the process and hastens the hardening of the new shell.
Ah, so back to that stuff about reproduction. Interestingly enough, when lobsters mate, the eggs aren't fertilized right away. The female chooses when to fertilize her eggs and carries the male's sperm until she is ready. Lobster eggs are called roe, just like fish eggs (caviar). The females carries the fertilized eggs until they are ready to hatch, at which time she lays them. While the female is carrying those eggs around, she carries them with her swimmerets - the abdominal appendages. That female lobster will even carry her eggs for up to year, this all depends on how warm the water is. And sadly, only.1 percent (that's only 1/10 of a percent) of the lobster's eggs live more than six weeks.
So now that we have learned how baby lobsters come to be, let's talk about some of the facts about harvesting. Most people recognize that Maine is the Lobster Capital of the world with nearly a million pounds of lobster caught annually. The second highest record of Maine lobster landings was in 2013 with 125,953,876 pounds! WOW! Maine requires lobstermen to complete a two-year apprenticeship before they can captain their own boat, Apprentice lobstermen can be on a waiting list for 10 years before they get their own license. A crewman on a lobster boat makes about $50,000 a year, while boat owners make quite a bit more than that, but must invest a lot more as well. A lobsterman usually starts around 4:30 AM and works until dark. It's necessary to catch about 150 pounds of lobster a day just to cover the cost of bait and gas. There are around 6,000 licensed lobstermen in Maine.
Now on to the best about lobsters: A little about dining and the history of lobster as food. Amazingly, lobsters were once considered the poor man's chicken. Even in Colonial times, it was fed to pigs and goats and only eaten by humans that were paupers. Slaves sometimes dined like kings, often eating lobster because it was plentiful and cheap. Native Americans ate lobsters after wrapping them in seaweed and baking them over hot rocks. They also used lobster as bait and to fertilize their crops.
Lobster meat is a great source of protein, providing 28 grams of protein per cup consumed. It is also a great source of heart-healthy omega 3 fatty acids. Lobsters are not fattening, as long as you pass on the butter (but who would want to do that?). Three and half ounces of lobster have under 100 calories and about 2 grams of fat.
It's a myth that lobsters scream when put into hot water as they have no lungs and no vocal cords. A one-pound lobster should be cooked for about 15 minutes, overcooking lobster leaves it tough and rubbery. Lobster steamed in beer is delicious. A pilsner or lager is the best choice.
And as a last thought, some people believe that lobster is an aphrodisiac! It ALL sounds good to me!
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