Bow Street Blog

With Maine Lobster Week coming up and National Lobster Day on September 25, we thought it might be a good time to talk about when you should look for fresh lobster meat and when frozen (or previously frozen) is just fine.

Picked lobster meat is the easiest way to get real Maine lobster on the table without doing any of the work yourself. But not all of it is the same, and it’s worth knowing what you’re buying before you get to the register.

Fresh vs. frozen: what’s actually different

Fresh picked meat comes from lobsters cooked and picked that day or the day before. It has the best texture, but it’s a two-day window, use it or lose it.

Frozen picked meat is usually frozen shortly after picking. It keeps longer and costs less. Once thawed, either in the market case or at home, it’s a little wetter than fresh. This matters less than you’d think once it’s in a recipe.

When to buy which

Eating it cold, straight up, in a roll with butter or mayo? Get fresh, and ask what day it was picked.

Cooking it into something else, chowder, bisque, a stuffed mushroom, mac and cheese? Frozen works fine and it’s a better value.

Hosting people and need it a few days out? Buy frozen and thaw it yourself the night before. Don’t count on fresh holding for a week, because it won’t.

How much to buy

Plan on 4 to 6 ounces of picked meat per person for a roll, more if lobster’s the whole meal, less if it’s going into something with other ingredients.

What we carry

Ask at the seafood counter what’s fresh that day, we’re honest about it either way. If it’s not fresh, we’ll say so and point you to the frozen case instead.

Hot tip: if a container of picked lobster meat has more liquid pooling at the bottom than meat, it’s been sitting too long. Walk away.