Lobster Prices Plummet! Anyone Ordering?

[Mister Moo]

I heard on the radio that lobster prices are in free fall, whatever that means. Anyone been ordering? Anyone in Maine, Massachusetts or New Hampster in the lobster loop with local info they care to share?

[JohnnyFlake]

I heard the same thing twice, in the last two days. I'd love to buy a dozen around 12 ounces ea, vacuum seal and freeze them, however, I checked two local food marts and Sam's this morning and the prices are still crazy. Sam's has the nicest ones, and is the lowest price, however, still at $19.58 a pound!

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by JohnnyFlake

I heard ... the lowest price, however, still at $19.58 a pound!

Not my idea of free-falling prices. Drat.

[kansashat]

Originally Posted by JohnnyFlake

I heard the same thing twice, in the last two days. I'd love to buy a dozen around 12 ounces ea, vacuum seal and freeze them, however, I checked two local food marts and Sam's this morning and the prices are still crazy. Sam's has the nicest ones, and is the lowest price, however, still at $19.58 a pound!

Actually, $19.58 a pound is a great price for lobster, depending on what kind of lobster it is, &, I assume, what part of the country you are in.

Let me re-phrase...if you live in the midwestern USA, & that is cold water lobster, that's a great price (this would be for a tail BTW).

P.S. Make sure you read the ingredients label & there is no sodium tripolyphosphate.

[chippewastud79]

The live lobsters near me are between $9.99 and $15.99 a pound, but then again they are Canadian lobsters, so I am not sure about the exchange rate they get when they cross the border into Kentucky

[zackly]

I'm in the seafood business.
You are talking about two different items.
The $19.00 product are warm water lobster tails from the Carribean. Wholesale prices have fall since the beginning of the year from a high of $22.00 a pound to around $13.50 now. Cold water tails from Australia & S. Africa are closer to $30.00 a pound. They taste better.
Live north American lobster from Maine & Canada are selling in the $4.00-5.00 range wholesale depending on the size & condition of the shell. After lobsters molt their shells the yield of meat is less. Frequently the sales @ supermarkets are for soft shells. Ask for hard shell if available.
Look for bargains soon, especially after the holidays.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by zackly

I'm in the seafood business... ...Maine & Canada are selling in the $4.00-5.00 range wholesale depending on the size & condition of the shell. After lobsters molt their shells the yield of meat is less. Frequently the sales @ supermarkets are for soft shells. Ask for hard shell if available.

Look for bargains soon, especially after the holidays.

My main man, Zackly. Lobster dinner for the New Year!

[JohnnyFlake]

Originally Posted by zackly

I'm in the seafood business.
You are talking about two different items.
The $19.00 product are warm water lobster tails from the Carribean. Wholesale prices have fall since the beginning of the year from a high of $22.00 a pound to around $13.50 now. Cold water tails from Australia & S. Africa are closer to $30.00 a pound. They taste better.
Live north American lobster from Maine & Canada are selling in the $4.00-5.00 range wholesale depending on the size & condition of the shell. After lobsters molt their shells the yield of meat is less. Frequently the sales @ supermarkets are for soft shells. Ask for hard shell if available.
Look for bargains soon, especially after the holidays.

Thanks for the very helpful info. I will be watching!

[bobarian]

Group Buy!

[mosesbotbol]

We were talking about lobster prices yesterday at work. Since I live in Boston, there's plenty of fish markets around. I am curious now. I remember paying $2.50 lb for culls.

[bobarian]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

We were talking about lobster prices yesterday at work. Since I live in Boston, there's plenty of fish markets around. I am curious now. I remember paying $2.50 lb for culls.

What is a "cull"? Is that a back in the day price?

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by bobarian

What is a "cull"? Is that a back in the day price?

A cull is a lobster with one claw bigger than the other or a claw is missing. The lobster boats sell them for cheap as the markets are not keen on them. Ya, that was "back in the day" prices. I use to be a first mate on a Hatteras and there was a couple of lobster boats at the harbor we had a slip in.

[zackly]

Back in the day when I was a chef I used to buy the complete "run" of lobsters from a fisherman who had 800 pots in Long Island Sound, CT.
The run is everything that comes out of the pots, all sizes plus the culls. We used the culls for lobster salad or quickly par- cooked the lobsters then picked the meat for sautee dishes. Culls are a great value, if you can find them in retail, because they aren't sold in most restaurants for whole lobster dinners.The meat is the same. Man, I do love lobster!
I've read that losters were so abundant (and cheap) in NY during the 19th century that they used to feed them to prison inmates so frequently that
they rioted & got a regulation passed limiting the number of times they could be served lobster! I think it was twice weekly! Brussel sprouts I could understand but lobster?

[wattsd]

I live in maine and I can get lobsters for $3.00 a pound. the fisherman here are paying more in expenses than what they are making selling the lobster. I even heard TODAY that after new years a few "buyers" (people lobsterman sell to) won't be buying any after new year....sucks to be fishing now.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by zackly

...I've read that losters were so abundant (and cheap) in NY during the 19th century that they used to feed them to prison inmates so frequently that they rioted...

A rural Nova Scotia novelist recollected that, when she was young, her family had to eat lobster because it was all they could afford.