While in Maine I have had to rename a day of the week - sort of a reminder that too much of a good thing is bad for you. So this year I only have lobster one day a week - on Lobstaday. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Lobstaday Saturday Sunday....
These two guys are the first I have seen of New Shell Lobsters. And now that they are showing up in the pounds, they will continue to be plentiful throughout summer. Matter of fact, up here in Maine, unless you specifically ask for Hard Shell Lobsters, this is what you will get. And as far as I am concerned, there is NO need to order hard shells.
The soft shell is exactly what it sounds like - a lobster with a soft shell. Once a year between May and as late as August, all lobsters will "shed" their shells. In fact "shedders" are what the lobster men (OK... lobster people) call them. In order to grow, they have to get rid of their smaller shell in order to grow into a larger one. Lobsters have a subtle line that runs along the top of the carapace from the head to the back of the carapace. They lose up to 50% of their weight in body, claw, knuckle and abdomen (tail)meat. During the molting process they position themselves head down on the bottom and their carapace (body) splits down that longitudinal line. Once split they literally pull themselves out of the shell. I guess it's pretty easy to see how they can pull their abdomen and tail fins out of the old shell but the real magic is in the claws.
If you look at the first picture, you can see that there are two "knuckles" between each claw and the abdomen (that section between the tail fins and the carapace). And as you can see, the knuckles are considerably smaller than the claws. So imagine the struggle trying to pull all that claw meat out of those tiny openings in the knuckles. Some trick ehh? Occasionally their claw meat is just too massive to pull it through so they instinctively break that claw off. By the way, a lobster with only one claw is called a "cull". Not to worry though, if the lobster isn't caught for three or four years, it will actually grow a new claw.
Once the shedding is completed, they hide away in the rocks on the bottom and limit their movement because of their vulnerability due to the soft shell. But they still have to eat and that's why lobstering produces a very high percentage of shedders. The traps lay on the bottom, in rocky areas and the newly shed lobsters smell an easy meal with a minimum of exposure in the water column.
Shedders in their new shell have far less meat than a hard shell of the same size but actually will weigh more. That's because as the new shell is forming, a considerable amount of seawater is trapped inside the claws, knuckles, carapace and abdomen. They cook up the same as a hard shell in a bit less time but I am here to tell ya - they are far easier to eat, the meat is much sweeter, more tender, and the seawater is absolutely delicious. And as you undoubtedly know from a previous post, they are natures perfect food. Just learn to enjoy them with a squirt of fresh lemon juice in lieu of melted butter. Personally, I save the butter dipping for the first and last bites only.
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