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Serving lobster tails to your
dinner guests or loved ones is always a special treat, so you
want them to taste great! Saying this, be careful and buy the best
product you can afford and buy from a reputable source. As lobster
tails usually come frozen, you need to know which ones are the best to
buy.
There
are two types of frozen lobster tails - warm-water or
cold-water lobster tails.
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Warm-water lobster tails are mainly from Florida, the Caribbean, and Latin America.
Warm-water lobster tails are not as reliable in quality as the
cold-water lobster tails, as the meat can be mushy and not firm.
There is nothing worse than spending your time and money to prepare
a wonderful dinner and have one of the dishes not be up to par!
Especially when you are spending the extra money to serve lobster
tails.
Another way to tell the difference is by looking at the shells.
Caribbean warm-water tails have distinct yellow spots and a yellow
band across the tail.
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Cold-water
lobster tails generally come from Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. It is
harder to get frozen lobster tails from Maine as the
lobster are more expensive
and the tails usually have less meat.
Look for the cold water ones, as they have whiter meat and are
considered more tender because they grown more slowly in colder
winters. Yes, the cold-water lobster tails will probably be more
expensive, but why take a chance!
There is a difference in
taste and quality in these two types of frozen lobster tails. When
buying frozen lobster tail, ask the fish provider if they are warm-water
or cold water lobsters. If your fish provider doesn't know, just presume
they are warm-water lobster and don't purchase.
Other things to avoid when buying frozen lobster tails: If you see any
discoloration, like black spots, in the flesh of the lobster meat, don't
purchase, as they were probably not handled properly. Also, if the tail
has a grayish color, it is a sign the lobster wasn't alive during the
processing.
Linda's
favorite recipes using frozen lobster tails:
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