We’d like to make something clear. No one should be saying “buyer beware” when it comes to soft-shell lobsters from Maine. The quality of a lobster is an assessment made by the eater, and some would argue Maine lobsters taste far better than those from Connecticut.
Not that we want to start a lobster war. But a recent news article from The Day newspaper in New London, Conn., quoted people from Connecticut and Rhode Island who said Maine is putting low-quality lobsters on the market.
Sure, Maine has an astounding number of soft-shell lobsters — in large part because of longtime conservation measures — and there is less meat in lobsters that have just shed their shell. That’s why they cost less.
But quality? How do you beat the quality of a Maine lobster?
With Wednesday marking the start of Rockland’s Lobster Festival, Mainers have a chance to support an industry vital to the economic health and cultural identity of the state. It’s also important for lobster industry representatives — whether they are lobstermen, dealers, restaurant owners or state leaders — to continue to work together to find a way to increase demand for Maine lobsters in order to offset rising supply.
Fishermen landed more than double the number of lobsters last year than a decade prior, and more work is required to expand the market — whether through greater advertising efforts, production of speciality products or events, such as the Lobster Festival, which is sponsored by the BDN and runs Aug. 1-5, or the Rockland-Camden Lobsterpalooza, which is a celebration of Maine lobster organized by the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce for Aug. 26-31.
It’s also important for people to have the facts about lobster. Whether a lobster is in a soft shell or a hard shell, it’s still the same lobster. It’s just at a different stage of its annual cycle of molting its outer layer. Soft-shell lobsters, otherwise called shedders, are considered a delicacy and are not inferior in any way.
There are a variety of soft-shell lobsters. Some have just finished their molt, and some may have shed their shell a couple months ago. A lobster that has recently molted has to be sold quickly to restaurants or retail stores. But a lobster that has had more time to fill out its new shell can stay in a tank for a week or two.
Dealers know what can be shipped out of state and what can’t. They have a selection process to make sure they’re shipping lobsters that will survive the trip, according to the Maine Lobster Council. Yes, there is slightly less lobster meat. That’s normal. But the meat is known for being a little sweeter and more delicate than hard-shell lobster meat. It’s personal preference whether soft- or hard-shell lobster meat tastes better.
The glut of soft shell lobsters, which molted early this year, gives consumers an opportunity to pay affordable prices. And it provides the industry with an opportunity to get creative with the catch. The increasing number of lobsters over time should propel the industry to find new markets and expand existing ones in order to boost profitability.
This is a time for people to come together and deal with the fortunate problem of having too many lobsters. Fishermen in other states might get jealous of the abundance. Ignore them.
I’m willing to bet that their lobsters and ours are no different other than where they are caught.
Lobsters caught south of Cape Cod grow in warmer and dirtier water. They suffer from a much much higher incidence of Shell Rot. I would bet Maine Lobsters are a better quality product.
Maine lobster IS the best and soft shell lobsters have sweeter meat. I have lived here all my life and soft shell lobsters are heaven on earth!!!
Call me lazy but they’re easier to crack open also.
Conn. a very liberal union State. they need an excuse to double or triple their cost of lobster
I’m not sure if CT still has the highest per capita income of any state, but they are right up there. With their lobster fishery in decline and retail and wholesale stores like Stop ‘n Shop and BJ’s and lots of others that could move a lot of product, I would think that the Maine lobster industry should be there in force selling the product. Set up the tanks in the stores, give them a qty. break, and create some serious demand. I don’t think even the numbest CT flatlander believes Maine lobster is a low quality product. They don’t make their money by being stupid.
One nice thing about soft shell lobsters is that you don’t even need a cracker (nutcracker) to eat them. I think the claw meat is more tender in a soft shell and maybe a little sweeter, but I won’t turn either a soft or hard shell down. They are both terrific!
I recently moved to the mid-coast from CT. The lobsters sold in CT. are gathered from a cesspool called Long Island Sound …..! I would not consume anything that was caught in those waters even if it DID taste better!
I moved from CT. …. “where the debris meets the sea” to the shores of Penobscot Bay a couple of years ago. The lobsters gathered in CT. are taken from a cesspool called Long Island Sound. I have walked the shores of Long Island Sound …. believe me nobody who lives in Maine would feel comfortable eating anything caught out of THAT body of water … even if it DID taste better … and it DOES NOT!