Low Lobster Prices Make Freezing Lobster at Home an Attractive Option
Contact: Al Bushway, The University of Maine Department of Food Science & Human Nutrition (207) 581-1629;
Bob Bayer, Lobster Institute, The University of Maine (207) 581-2785
ORONO — With the price of lobsters at some of the lowest prices seen in over 20 years, people aren’t waiting for a special occasion to bring lobsters home for dinner. Consumers are lining up at local lobster dealers to take advantage of this pricing windfall. Lobsters are also available from roadside vendors and at farmers’ markets.
“Lobsters are priced at a point where it is worthwhile to freeze them for later use at home,” says Prof. Robert Bayer of the Lobster Institute at the University of Maine.
“Properly prepared whole or ‘in the shell’ lobster has a good quality shelf-life of 9 to 12 months,” says Prof. Al Bushway of the UMaine Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, “Lobster meat that has been picked and frozen will have an acceptable shelf life of 3-6 months if stored properly.”
With this in mind, the Lobster Institute and the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition have put together a fact sheet, “How to Freeze Lobster at Home.”
The fact sheet, which outlines safe methods for freezing whole, “in the shell” cooked lobsters and cooked lobster meat, is online at http://www.umaine.edu/news/lobster.htm. Lobster Institute staff members will send a fact sheet to anyone who calls to request it at (207) 581-2751.