Lobster Seafood Ratings

Lobster is one of the most popular and well-known types of seafood available. There is a reason lobster is served at weddings, business meetings, and special events. There is no such thing as the perfect seafood for everybody, but if you can find room in the budget and you’re a seafood fan, lobster is something you don’t want to miss.

Seafood Type Price* Taste/ Texture Nutrition Seasonal Availability Geographic Availability Sustainability Shelf Stable
Lobster

* A higher rating means a lower average price for this type of seafood.

Price: Lobster prices per pound can range anywhere from $25-$50 per pound including delivery costs and available sales discounts. One of the most popular types of seafood, lobster has a higher price tag to match.

Taste and Texture: The texture of Maine lobster in particular is sometimes described as the perfect mix of firm but tender meat. It’s not as flaky as crab, but not as chewy as shrimp. It has a sweeter flavor than most seafood but also readily takes on cooking spices. In other words, add garlic and butter to taste.

Nutrition: Lobster has low mercury content, though not as low as wild salmon. For those who are able, you can eat lobster at least a few times a week, along with other low-mercury seafood, and still maintain a healthy diet. Lobster also has lots of protein but only minimal amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. Based on a 6 oz serving, lobster has 0.10 ppm of mercury, 165 calories, 34 grams of protein, and 1 gram of fat.

Seasonal Availability: Some lobster harvesting occurs all year at some level, but there is definitely a peak season for quantity and quality during the late summer to early winter months. There is also a difference in quality and live shipping during late spring and summer in which recently molted lobsters still have a softer shell. Many mature lobsters only molt and lose their shell every other year, so hard-shell lobster is available in some quantity almost year-round.

Geographic Availability: You can generally get live lobster delivered anywhere in the U.S. However, there may be limited choices among lobster companies and extra shipping costs for Hawaii and Alaska deliveries. Overnight shipping is essential to guarantee the lobster does not perish in transit and delivers the authentic taste of cold-water lobster. In addition to logistical hurdles, international tariffs and trading policies complicate international distribution of live Maine lobster.

Sustainability: In terms of harmful chemicals and feed sources, lobster harvesting is quite sustainable. However, there are some sustainability concerns about bycatch and harm to other important marine species, including whales and turtles. Lobster populations themselves are largely stable, but global warming is pushing these species and their natural habitat farther and farther north.

Shelf Stable: It can be stored in the refrigerator for several hours, but live lobster should be cooked the same day it arrives for best quality. You can also blanche or partially cook the lobster to give yourself a couple days to fully cook and serve the Maine lobster. Once cooked, leftover lobster meat will last a few days in the refrigerator. Frozen lobster meat will last for about 6 months. Frozen lobster tails will last at least that long or even a few months longer.

 

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