Are you looking for a way to buy lobster tails without experiencing a loss of quality? Find out how in this brief post.
Perhaps you’re trying to buy lobster tails for your family or an event. Or maybe you want to enjoy them on your own. There are some things you’ll have to understand before you just buy them. Keep reading to find out!
Cheap Lobster Tails
Lookout for imposters that are selling low-quality lobster tails. Warm water tails are always sold at a lower price. However, they don’t have the same quality as frozen lobster tails from Canada or Maine. You can buy lobster tails in large catalog steak companies and chain stores.
Large cruise lines offer warm water tails to passengers to help save money. Spiny lobsters aren’t as rich tasting but are a bit tougher than Maine lobster tail. Some customers tell us that the cheap tails taste like sawdust while others say it tastes like dried out rubbery.
So you’ll want to avoid cheap lobster tails altogether.
How to Buy Lobster Tails Online
Here are some important tips you should consider when buying lobster tails online.
- Appearance: The tail needs to have a translucent, white color with no gray, dark orange, or other abnormal colors. And, the flipper needs to be intact, and the shell should not be punctured or broken exposing the meat.
- Hard-Shell Lobsters: Soft shell lobsters are not going to cut it. You want a tail that’s full of meat, full of water, and not hollow.
- Net Weight: Tails should not exceed their net frozen weight. Basically, the tails should weight close to or above their market grade.
- Healthy Lobsters: Only healthy lobsters need to be processed, others need to be discarded and culled out. This means weak or dead lobsters should be processed.
How to Process Better Lobster Tails
Lobster tails start when the tail is separated from the body, washed thoroughly, vein and gut/body is removed, and is graded before they are frozen. The process should be 100% natural with no chemical preservatives or additives. Here are the more common freezing methods that are used:
- Blast or Gas Freezing: Carbon Dioxide (-78.5 °F) or Nitrogen (-320.44 °F) help freeze the lobster tails. Gas freezing is faster and doesn’t change the quality of the meat. This process is followed by a light protective gazing. Nitrogen freezing doesn’t cause any yellow tint in the meat as it would in brine freezing.
- Brine Freezing: Freezing lobster via immersion in cold brine is followed by protective grazing. However, this method can leave a bad taste if done improperly and is slower than gas freezing methods.
- Ultra High-Pressure Processing: This method uses the latest technology to help process the lobster, and allows for the meat to become detached from its shell. With this process, the lobster meat and tail remains intact while still having its natural nutrients.
Like any seafood, the temperature will have a large impact on the tail quality. Temperatures above -0°F/-18° C might cause product damage. Keep the temperatures between -15°F (-26°C) to -20°F (30°C) or lower to store your lobster tails without losing any quality.
Conclusion
Before you buy lobster tails always know how they are processed and stored. This will help you speak to the sellers with more confidence when discussing prices them. In conclusion, make sure you know the quality of your lobster tails to ensure that you have a better meal afterward!