Q. What is the latest time I can order for next day delivery?

A. For overnight delivery, your order must be placed by 11 a.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. No orders are processed on Saturday and Sunday. Also, orders are not processed on holidays, so please call us at 1-800-668-1612 or email us if you are placing an order around the time of a holiday.

Q. What should I do when my lobsters arrive?

A. Open the box and either cook the lobsters right away or store them in the refrigerator (the crisper drawer is preferable) until you are ready to cook them later that night, or the next morning, but no later than that. Do not store the lobsters in water to keep them alive prior to cooking.

Q. Why aren't my live lobsters red?

A. A live lobster is greenish/brown, not red. The lobster becomes red during the cooking process. To see a picture of an uncooked lobster, click here.

Q. How do you hold a lobster so you aren't pinched?

A. Hold it at the end of the carapace where it joins the tail. Many cooks prefer to leave the bands on the claws when they cook lobsters to avoid being pinched. (Bands also prevent lobsters from damaging themselves.)

Q. When you buy a lobster, how do you tell if it's alive?

A. Only buy a live lobster. As long as the lobster is moving either its legs, antennae, or flipping Its tail, it is alive. Lobsters should always be alive before cooking. A cooked lobster should have a tail that is curled, indicating that it was alive when cooked.

Q. How long can you keep live lobsters in a refrigerator? How long will they stay alive?

A. Live lobsters can be kept for approximately 12 hours under refrigerated conditions although most will survive for at least 24 hours. Live lobsters cannot be stored in fresh water or enclosed in plastic bags.

Q. How long can you keep cooked lobster in the refrigerator?

A. It should be good for 3 to 4 days.

Q. What is the difference between a hard-shell lobster and a soft-shell lobster?

A. In the summer lobsters shed their shells so that they can grow. Once the lobsters have shed their old shells, there are new, soft shells underneath. These shells will harden over the course of time and as the water gets colder. Since the lobsters shed their shells in order to have room for growth the following year, there is less meat inside a soft-shell lobster than there is in a hard-shell lobster of the same size (this also accounts for their lower prices). Even though there is less meat in soft-shells than in hard-shells, many people prefer the taste of the soft-shells. They are considered sweeter and more tender than the hard-shells.

Q. How many lobsters does it take to make a pound of lobster meat?

A. While it depends on the type and size of the lobsters used, it usually takes either 5 to 6 pounds of soft-shell lobsters or 4-1/2 to 5-1/2 pounds of hard-shell lobsters to make a pound of lobster meat.

Q. What is the privacy policy of New Meadows Lobster?

A. When you order, we need to know your name, email address, mailing address, credit card number, and expiration date. This allows us to process and fulfill your order and to notify you of your order status. When you place orders or access your account information, we use a secure server. The secure server software (SSL) encrypts all information you input before it is sent to us. All of the customer data we collect is protected against unauthorized access. New Meadows Lobster does not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to others.

Q. Is Maine lobster a healthy food?

A. Maine Lobster is a healthy food. It is actually low in cholesterol, low in fat, and low in calories. The National Institute of Health provided the following statistics (1990 statistics, based on 3.5-oz. serving):

Food Cholesterol Calories Saturated Fats LOBSTER 72mg 98 0.1g Chicken 85mg 173 1.3g Turkey 86mg 161 1.2g Pork Loin 85mg 213 2.6g Beef (Top Round) 90mg 207 2.0g