# Lobster meat question



## grumblebee

Hey guys... I have a quick question. (I did a search and couldnt find the answer) 

Anyway, I was just wondering if anyone knows how many grams of actual meat would come out of your average 1 lb live lobster. I know that there will be slight variations, but I'm just looking for an approximation. 

Also, does anyone know a formula to calculate the approximate meat yields depending on the weight of a lobster? I'm just wondering if there is some kind of shell/unedible - edible portions ratio...? (eg: 3/4 unedible, 1/4 edible)

Thanks!


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## GB

I don't know the answer to your question, but depending on if it is a new shell or old shell the amount of meat will greatly vary.


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## Chef_Jimmy

a 1 pound (500 g) *lobster* will contain 3-4 oz. (100-125 g) of *meat*


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## ironchef

Like Chef Jimmy said, a one pound lobster doesn't have very much meat in it. However, smaller lobsters tend to be sweeter than the larger ones like Maine Lobster.


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## grumblebee

Thanks guys... So it's about roughly 1/5th of the weight of the lobster then. (if 100g of meat comes from a 500g lobster) I knew it wasn't very much, but it is oh so worth it! 

Now here's another question for anyone reading this: Which do you eat first, the tail or the claws? I always save the tail until the end - start at the front end of the lobster and work my way back. yum yum.


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## amber

ironchef said:
			
		

> Like Chef Jimmy said, a one pound lobster doesn't have very much meat in it. However, smaller lobsters tend to be sweeter than the larger ones like Maine Lobster.


 
Yep, 1 lb lobsters (softshell/chicken lobsters in some areas) are sweeter, though the claws are really small and I prefer the claws to the tail. Hard shell lobsters yield more meat because they are more mature.  Either way, the size doesnt really matter, it's the cooking technique.  Some prefer to steam, boil, broil, or bake. But basically, if you buy a 1 lb lobster, you wont yield much meat.  Go with at least 1 1/4 lb-1 1/2 pound lobster.


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## Banana Brain

Never enough! I guess you got your question answered though. I went to the Red Lobster once and picked out the biggest lobster in the tank, thinking he'd be really meaty. Sadly, there was hardly any. Here's a tip if you're making your own: tap on the shell. If it makes noise, I think thats supposed to mean it has less meat in it because it molted its shell recently. Pick one that's silent for a really full lobster. I heared that somewhere, but I forgot wear.

And if you havn't read this...
http://www.coastallobster.com/About_lobsters.htm#meat

Says, "It is difficult to say exactly how many live lobsters it takes to make a pound of meat, mainly because lobsters contain more meat at different times of the year. In the middle of the winter when lobsters are most full of meat, it takes about 41/2 pounds of live lobsters to get a pound of meat. However, in the late summer, when lobsters have shed, it takes about nine 1-pound live lobsters to get a pound of meat."


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## mish

I'll eat it any way I can get it, lol. Usually go for the tail first, as it has more meat. Re the yield, don't some have claws - some don't, i.e. East coast vs West?

Just my opinion, but size does matter. Had close to a 2 lb that was tough as nails. Wrote a letter to the restaurant, as it was a special occasion, but no response. Never went back there again.


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## ironchef

If it's a lobster with claws, then I eat the claws first, the tail second, and the tomalley (if any) last. But I tend to gravitate towards spiny or slipper lobsters which have only tail meat, and are generally sweeter and more tender.


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## marmalady

Banana Brain said:
			
		

> Never enough! I guess you got your question answered though. I went to the Red Lobster once and picked out the biggest lobster in the tank, thinking he'd be really meaty. Sadly, there was hardly any. Here's a tip if you're making your own: tap on the shell. If it makes noise, I think thats supposed to mean it has less meat in it because it molted its shell recently. Pick one that's silent for a really full lobster. I heared that somewhere, but I forgot wear.


 
It also could mean that the poor lobster sat in the tank for days/weeks without being fed, and was starving.  Another tip - when you're buying lobster, only buy from a source you know; or ask the fishmonger how long the lobsters have been in the store tank.


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## marmalady

Banana Brain said:
			
		

> Never enough! I guess you got your question answered though. I went to the Red Lobster once and picked out the biggest lobster in the tank, thinking he'd be really meaty. Sadly, there was hardly any. Here's a tip if you're making your own: tap on the shell. If it makes noise, I think thats supposed to mean it has less meat in it because it molted its shell recently. Pick one that's silent for a really full lobster. I heared that somewhere, but I forgot wear.


 
Another tip - lobsters that have been in a tank for over a week are starving, and start losing their mass.  Only buy from a fishmonger you know has fresh lobster in his tank.


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## GB

I go for the claws first then I go for the tail. After that I get the little teensy bits of meat out of the swimmer legs. Then I crack open the body and dig the meat out of all the joints. It is amazing how much meat is in there, but most people either don't know about it or don't want to spend the effort to get it. I am a lobster lover so no amount of effort is too much for me


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## Chef_Jimmy

like ironchef said, lobsters with no claws such as spiny have a large amount of tail meat with a great flavor, on reguler maine lobsters, i think the claw meat is sweeter and more tender


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## GB

I have had a million Maine lobsters, but only had a non Maine lobster once. It was in the Dominican Republic. The tails were grilled. The meat was completely different from the Maine lobsters I was used to. They were delicious. The taste and texture was similar to scallops IMO. I *much* prefer the Maine lobster variety though.


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## Andy M.

I wonder...

A lobster that is ready to molt has a very thick shell and its flesh it tight against the shell all over.  A lobster that has recently molted had a very thin shell that's somewhat bigger so the flesh isn't pressed against it.

So I think the molted lobster will contain more meat because you're not paying for the weight of the thicker shell.

Does that make sense?


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## GB

I am not sure Andy. I think you are paying for the weight of the water in the shell too and since a molted lobster has more space between the shell and the meat there is more space for water.

I could be wrong though.


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## Andy M.

Do you think a live lobster has water in its shell?


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## GB

According to Alton Brown (who of course is by no means the end all be all expert) it does. When he did his show on lobsters he mentioned what I wrote above specifically. I am willing to say that he could very possibly be wrong though.

What I do know is I like the taste of the hard shell lobsters better. That I can say for sure


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## GB

OK I am not so sure where I got my info anymore. I could have sworn I heard AB say that on his show, but I just looked (quickly) at the transcript and do not see mention of it. Maybe I was drinking that night


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## BreezyCooking

Ugh - personal preference rears its ugly head again - lol!!!  I MUCH prefer a whole Maine lobster to just the tails - especially the "slipper" tails.  And I particularly love the females with their delicious roe.

It's also absolutely true that it's nearly impossible to give an answer as to how much meat one can expect for whole lobsters.  For one thing, the longer they remain in store tanks, where they're not feeding, the more meat mass they lose.  And since they also shed their shells, just like crabs, lobsters that are about to or have just shed their shells will also tend to be more lightweight because they don't feed during this period.

To be honest, I never bother with frou-frou lobster recipes where I need to extract the meat.  I prefer mine plain boiled & either served hot with lemon butter, or cold with tarragon mayonnaise.


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## marmalady

GB said:
			
		

> According to Alton Brown (who of course is by no means the end all be all expert) it does. When he did his show on lobsters he mentioned what I wrote above specifically. I am willing to say that he could very possibly be wrong though.
> 
> What I do know is I like the taste of the hard shell lobsters better. That I can say for sure


 
Me, too, but soft shells sure are easier to crack!  

Note to those who aren't real lobster afficienados - when we talk about 'soft-shell lobsters', it's not the same as soft shell crabs.


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## GB

Usually the soft shell ones are easier to crack, but sometimes they are even more difficult. It the shell is really soft then it won't crack at all. I end up peeling those off.

Yeah some of the hard shell ones can be a pain to get into. You also end up spraying all the people around you with lobster juice


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## BreezyCooking

Yes, it's really irritating to end up with a soft-shell lobster, since you can't really tell until you've gotten them home & cooked them.  The shell is difficult to remove & the meat is usually small & mushy.


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## JohnL

As with most any seafood, fresh is always best. While working in Maine some years back, I passed a lobster house on my way back from a job site. Naturarlly I just had to stop in! I ended up purchasing a dozen of the 2 pounders and a shipping box and flew them home with me. They were absolutely fantastic . Much better than the ones that I've purchased from the grocery store


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## BreezyCooking

I agree that Maine lobster is the best.  I grew up on the Long Island, NY, waterfront, & we used to buy our lobsters right off the boats.  It's absolutely crazy that since moving here to VA where the markets get in Maine lobsters, how much better the Maine lobsters are then what we used to get fresh off the boats from Long Island Sound.


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## JohnL

Yeah Breeze the difference in taste is amazing, but the crazy part for me was the fact that I paid half of what it would have cost me to buy them here in B-more. And they were far superior.


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## BreezyCooking

JohnL - your comment about shipping the lobsters brings back an episode I'll never forget.

Coming back from a summer vacation, our family stopped somewhere in Maryland for a driving/food break, & at the same top popped into a seafood market & bought several dozen live blueclaw crabs that were alive but chilled, & packed in layers in a huge cardboard box.  Dad put them in the trunk & though nothing more about it.

Lo & behold, by the time we got home to NY, the crabs had warmed up & were running around EVERYWHERE.  Dad grabbed the box, ran into the house & threw it into the bathtub while the rest of us chased escapees throughout the house.  For several weeks afterwards we were finding very unpleasant smelling individuals in both the car & the house.


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## JohnL

Lively little boogers, ain't they Breeze! LOL!!!!


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## buckytom

ironchef said:
			
		

> Like Chef Jimmy said, a one pound lobster doesn't have very much meat in it. However, smaller lobsters tend to be sweeter than the larger ones like Maine Lobster.


 
wow, i totally disagree. imo, there is no better lobster than homerus americanus, the maine or northern lobster.

i've had lots of pacific and carribbean lobsters over the years: rock, spiny, etc., and they don't come close in terms of taste and sweetness. again, of course, just m.o..

i've heard that it has something to do with colder water.

as far as size goes, i've found that up to about 3 pounds, lobsters taste pretty much the same, but get a little tougher as the size goes up.


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## GB

I completely agree with everything you just said Bucky!

Also along the lines of your cold weather comment, most people do not realize that the best time to get lobsters (Maine lobsters that is) is not the summer, but actually in October.


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## Mylegsbig

ironchef said:
			
		

> If it's a lobster with claws, then I eat the claws first, the tail second, and the tomalley



Funny. I usually eat the lobster tamale last.  Especially if its accompanied with some habanero salsa and sour crewam


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## grumblebee

Mylegsbig said:
			
		

> Funny. I usually eat the lobster tamale last. Especially if its accompanied with some habanero salsa and sour crewam


 
Is it safe to eat the tomalley? I used to always eat it when I went out for lobster but then my cousin turned me off it saying that people can become very ill from it. (due to potential contaminants because it's essentially what the lobster uses to "filter" it's meals) 

I quite liked the tomalley even though it grossed most people out but I dont want to eat it if it will make me sick.


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## GB

I used to eat it too grumblebee, but stopped because of the health issues. It is probably OK though if you just do it every one in a while. JMO.


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## BreezyCooking

The reason why it's sometimes mentioned/written not to eat the tomalley is because the tomalley is actually the "liver" of the lobster, & like the liver in every other animal is where any toxins the animal has ingested will tend to concentrate.

However, like GB said, unless you were eating lobster every day, I am extremely doubtful that the small amount of tomalley normally consumed would make a dent in what we all probably consume toxin-wise on a daily basis - lol!!

The same seafood warnings are given about consuming too much fresh tuna/swordfish/shark, etc., except that's due to toxins accumulating in the flesh.

It also has a lot to do with where the seafood was harvested from - i.e. cleanliness of the water, etc.

I say - eat it & enjoy it. Moderation in all things (except perhaps hemlock, etc., lol!!!) won't hurt you.


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## GB

Well actually the warnings are not quite the same. Lobsters live on the bottom of the ocean and the liver is where the toxis concentrate so eating the liver is not quite the same as eating the flesh of a fish.

I think most of the concern with the tomalley is the accumulation of mercury, which is very dangerous even in small amounts.

This will not stop me from eating the tomalley every once in a great while, but I am not going to make a habit out of it either.


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## Andy M.

GB, that explains your mercurial personality!


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## GB




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## mish

GB, I watched some of Alton's lobster show. When he stepped on a roach to prove lobster was an insect, I almost gagged.  Almost turned me off lobster for good.  Thanks AB.


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## mish

buckytom said:
			
		

> as far as size goes, i've found that up to about 3 pounds, lobsters taste pretty much the same, but get a little tougher as the size goes up.


 
I don't know, BT. The 2 pounder, like I mentioned, was tough as nails. Next time, maybe I should order Two 1 lbs instead, and get my fingers limbered up/get cracking.


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## Andy M.

It could be that the lobster was tough because it was overcooked.


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## BreezyCooking

I agree about it possibly being the cooking.  I often buy 2+ pounders & cook them at home (boiled), & have never found them to be tough.

Larger sizes than that, however, may take a little more cooking finesse to have them come out properly.


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## mish

BreezyCooking said:
			
		

> I agree about it possibly being the cooking. I often buy 2+ pounders & cook them at home (boiled), & have never found them to be tough.
> 
> Larger sizes than that, however, may take a little more cooking finesse to have them come out properly.


 
Andy & Breezy, I think you have a good point re overcooking.

*Mish's Lobster Tale*

Re the tough-as-nails restaurant 2 pounder-lobster (& the nuked baked potato - blech)...

Looking forward to this special meal, I made reservations in advance for my friend & I. We wanted a really big lobster! My friend (who passed on, bless her soul, I love her bunches), always sent things back as long as I can remember & is very picky, & has been known to walk thru the restaurant kitchen to check things out  

When I arrived at the restaurant, my friend was already seated at the very loud bar - sports game going on on TV. The restaurant was empty - 'round lunchtime. My friend had this sheepish look on her face, & knowing my dear friend as I did - I said (insert name) - okay what'd ya do?

She told me she wanted to be sure we were getting a 2-pounder, walked thru the kitchen to see/ask 'bout the lobster. So, sitting in the empty restaurant, with reservations, we waited 30 mins - they told us the potatoes weren't ready  - do we want the lobster first. We said No.

Long story short - too late - lobster tough, potato nuked - bill was not cheap. Maybe the staff was watching the big game? I'll never know. Was miffed at the time, but look back and laugh at the whole big lobster experience.

THE BEST - Was Live baby, Live!
BF shows up in full scuba gear at my front door with a live one in each hand. Best I ever had.  As to weight, we didn't weigh 'em - just ate em.  YUM!  & there was plenty 'o meat.


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## BreezyCooking

Unless it's a very casual outdoor seaside place, I never order whole lobster in restaurants anymore. First of all, 9 times out of 10 it's overcooked; secondly, when I enjoy one properly, I'm always a mess afterwards - nothing a little plastic lobster bib or a 2" x 2" "moist towelette" can handle - lol!!

In fact, one of the only times I ever got sick from restaurant food was when my husband & made the mistake, many years ago, of dining at "Red Lobster", where good old "Lobster Fest" was going on. I ordered a lobster & should have known something was awry when no matter what we did, we couldn't crack the claws open. We actually had to send them back to the kitchen, & it took them so long to get them open that I can only assume they had taken them out into the parking lot & were backing a car over them. Obviously had spent WAY too much time under those infrafred heat lamps.

Anyway, later that night, I had one of the most intense cases of - ahem - "intestinal distress" imaginable, & definitely feel it was from that lobster.

It was not only the last time I ordered whole lobster at a non-seaside restaurant, but also the last time I ever ate at Red Lobster.


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## mish

BreezyCooking said:
			
		

> Unless it's a very casual outdoor seaside place, I never order whole lobster in restaurants anymore. First of all, 9 times out of 10 it's overcooked; secondly, when I enjoy one properly, I'm always a mess afterwards - nothing a little plastic lobster bib or a 2" x 2" "moist towelette" can handle - lol!!
> 
> In fact, one of the only times I ever got sick from restaurant food was when my husband & made the mistake, many years ago, of dining at "Red Lobster", where good old "Lobster Fest" was going on. I ordered a lobster & should have known something was awry when no matter what we did, we couldn't crack the claws open. We actually had to send them back to the kitchen, & it took them so long to get them open that I can only assume they had taken them out into the parking lot & were backing a car over them. Obviously had spent WAY too much time under those infrafred heat lamps.
> 
> Anyway, later that night, I had one of the most intense cases of - ahem - "intestinal distress" imaginable, & definitely feel it was from that lobster.
> 
> It was not only the last time I ordered whole lobster at a non-seaside restaurant, but also the last time I ever ate at Red Lobster.


 
Wow. Sorry to hear this Breezy. Red Lobster is okay. What "cracks" me up - is the old get-to-know-your lobster - go to the tank & pick the creature/familiarize yourself with Herman or whomever's in the tank with rubber bands round its' claws & you know Herman will be dead facing down on your plate in no time. I try not to think about it  RE market value, who knows. Is the Dow up or down?  I'll call my broker. LOL


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## GB

I am sure Amber will back me up on this...The best places to get lobster are the places that look the worst. The little shacks that have all the paint peeling off, red picnic tables out back, screen doors that may or may not still be on the hinges. The lobsters are not served on plates, but instead come in little paper holders. There are no napkins, but instead rolls of paper towels. Those are the places you sould get a lobster from (at least in Maine).


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## mish

GB said:
			
		

> I am sure Amber will back me up on this...The best places to get lobster are the places that look the worst. The little shacks that have all the paint peeling off, red picnic tables out back, screen doors that may or may not still be on the hinges. The lobsters are not served on plates, but instead come in little paper holders. There are no napkins, but instead rolls of paper towels. Those are the places you sould get a lobster from (at least in Maine).


 
Hmmm, yes and no, from my experience. Maybe depends on where you live, as well.

Use to be a dingey/dark place on Santa Monica Pier called Moby Dicks. Don't know if they're still around - may have been washed up by storms/rebuilt. Not great atmosphere, but good lobster. There are a few good places in Marina de Rey - not cheap, ambiance, bar, view, etc. There were some excellent places on Pacific Coast Highway - romantic atmosphere, view, watching the waves come in. Newport and Laguna beach has some excellent restaurants/seafood places - not cheap, but oh so good. Perhaps beach communities & NY/East Coast do it best, IMO. Gladstone's use to have a good reputation - it's on the list.  On the other hand, Vegas - in the middle of the desert rarely does food badly (unless you're eating at Circus, Circus).  Downtown, steak & lobster tail, salad $7.99.

To get back on track, grumble, were you thinking bout the yield for making it at home in a recipe, dining out, etc?


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## buckytom

a number of restaurants "do" lobster well around me, especially spanish/portugese places, and their prices are reasonable. around $15 for two steamed lobsters, about a pound each, with accompaniments.
of course, most seafood specialty places here have good lobster, but they're pricey.

i agree with gb that the best places in new england are the little shacks that dot the coastal roads. my fave place is next to the tiny bridge in kennebunkport. i have a cookbook of the best recipes from the coastal new england seafood shacks. i'll have to go dig it out.

i love to go to sandy hook, nj on sundays, catch some rays on the beach for the day (i don't go swimming in the ocean anywhere i can still see the city , unless it's 105 out or something. then you will need a tetanus shot, which if you're lucky, you might also find in the sand or surf ).

but then, on the ride home, there's a little outdoor cafe/deck that overlooks (underlooks?) the drawbridge that connects the island of sandy hook to the mainland. they have truely amazing steamed lobster platters, and steamed p!ss clams. unfortunately, they're expensive. around $25 for two 1 pound lobsters and fries. add the basket of steamed clams, a crab cake, corn on the cob, and a few foster's oil cans, and you're talking $75 to $100 for dinner for 2.
still, everything is so fresh, and perfectly steamed or fried it's worth it. supposedly, they get a bi-weekly delivery directly from maine ports.

also, you get to sit at picnic tables on a big deck still in your tank top and flip flops, watching the sailboats queue up, awaiting the next open bridge.
i can't wait to go this year.


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## Alix

buckytom said:
			
		

> and steamed p!ss clams.


 
At the risk of sounding like a complete idiot, what are these and why would you eat something with that name? Please tell me they are named for something other than their flavour.


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## buckytom

alix, they are soft shelled clams with a long siphon that sticks out of one end. it looks like a you know what, and they will spit water at you thru it, hence the name.
i think they're also called ipswich clams.

to eat them, they are boiled in a little net-like bag in clam broth, and served in the net in a basket with little bowls of clam broth and clarified butter. you pull open the shell and the creature out of the shell by it's siphon, peel off the skin of the siphon and discard, then dunk it in hot clam broth, then the warm butter. oh man, i'm jonesing for them now.

if you like clams, it's something you must experience.


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## Alix

Whew. Thanks for that explanation. Being a prairie girl I don't know all the different kinds of clams, etc that are available on the shore. Thanks for the explanation. They sound delicious by the way.


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## buckytom

alix, here's a good site about seafood.

http://www.victoriapacking.com/fishinfo.html

the picture of the p!ss clams is not showing the siphon for some reason.


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## Alix

Thank you.


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## GB

MJ I have never heard that term before, but it sounds like you are decribing what we would call steamers. Only difference is that ours are steamed (obviously) instead of boiled. sometime beer and garlic is aded to the steaming liquid. Great stuff! When I used to do a lot of mountain biking I would always get a craving for steamers after a hard run. That and a few cold beers were my reward for a good workout


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## buckytom

thank you, dr. freud.yup, they're also called steamers. but around here, steamers could be any clam that's steamed, from little necks to ipswich.


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## BreezyCooking

Where I grew up in Long Island, NY, they were either called steamers or soft-shell clams. Boy, do I miss them!!

Sometimes during the summer a few seafood purveyors here in VA carry them once in awhile, but because of the thin, brittle shell they don't ship well, & also just generally have a shorter shelf life than hard-shell clams, so I don't get to have them very often since moving.

When I was a kid we used to dig for them all the time at low tide. You'd just walk around on the mud flats & sand bars looking for their siphon squirts, & then dig FAST. Of course, that was way back when all Long Island waters were all still clean & pristine & you didn't have to worry about "certified waters" & poisoning yourself.


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## GB

buckytom said:
			
		

> thank you, dr. freud.yup, they're also called steamers. but around here, steamers could be any clam that's steamed, from little necks to ipswich.


Gotchya


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## auntdot

Sorry for jumping in a bit late but love the soft shell clam.

When we lived in NY and MA soft shell clams=Ipswich clams=steamers=piss clams.

Although in NY they always seemed to serve them steamed, in New England they also love to deep fry them.

Nothing better than those guys battered and deep fried.

Used to be able to buy them in clam shacks in pint or quart sizes, everyone always seemed to have their own favorite place to go.

Steamed or fried, fried or steamed, that is the question.


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## Andy M.

As a kid growing up, I used to eat fried clams by the bucketful. During the summer between high school and college, I developed an allergy to clams   and can no longer eat them in any form.


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