A: Open the shipping box and inspect them. They should be alive and moving. If the legs and claws hang loosely from a lobster and there is no movement when you pick it up, it's a goner. Don't eat it! See our policy page for what you should do.

Otherwise, if all looks well, you're ready to cook.

Q: How should I handle my lobsters?

A: Grasp a lobster by placing your thumb on one side of the body and fingers on the other side above the walking legs. When you pick it up, it may flip its tail and wave its claws and legs. That's a good sign. A frisky lobster is a healthy lobster. Do not pick them up by the tail or claws.

Q: One of my lobsters arrived dead. What do I do?

A: We take great care in selecting, packing, and shipping your lobsters to ensure they arrive alive. While it is rare for a lobster to not make the trip, it can happen. If you discover you have a lobster that has expired in transit, please contact us immediately. See our policy page for instructions.

Q: One of my lobsters arrived dead. Can I still eat it?

A: No! Lobsters degrade quickly on death. In general you should never cook lobster that was dead going into the pot unless you know exactly when it died and what it died of. Some chefs will refuse to prepare a lobster that's been dead for more than 15 minutes, that's how fast the meat can start to degrade, effecting taste and texture! See our policy page on what to do if you have a lobster that arrived dead.

Q: My lobsters arrived alive and we had a great lobster dinner. What about left over lobster?

A: Once cooked, lobster meat can be stored in the refrigerator like cooked beef or chicken.

Q: My lobsters arrived today but my dinner date had to postpone until tomorrow. What should I do?

A: We suggest preparing them as soon as possible after they arrive. Once your lobsters arrive, they are considered under your care (see our policy page). If you decide to hold them over, you do so at your own risk.

If you must hold them over, we recommend placing them in your refrigerator in the box and packing as you received them.

If there's not enough space in your refrigerator for the shipping box, place the lobsters in your refrigerator's chiller drawer, legs-down, and cover them with the damp newspaper that they were packed with.

Never soak or submerge a lobster in water (fresh or ocean) or let fresh water get under their shells. Fresh water will kill them. Packing them in ice is also a no-no.

A lobster's gills are located under its carapace (shell) so they will remain moist and functional for quite a while. Lobsters can survive quite a while out of water in the right conditions. Cooling them down also slows their metabolism.

Q: How long will my lobsters keep in the refrigerator like this?

A: We recommend cooking them as soon as possible after arrival. Generally the longer you keep them the less likely they are to survive to make it to the pot. We recommend holding them for no longer than 24 hours after arrival.

They may survive in the refrigerator for a longer period if kept as described above and they were frisky when they arrived. However, you should check them twice a day to be sure they are still lively. You should immediately cook any lobster that looks lethargic or barely moves when it warms up.

Q: It's been 24 hours and my dinner date postponed again. Now what?

A: First off, we suggest you find another date. :)

Meanwhile, go ahead and cook your lobsters. Cooked lobster will keep as well as cooked beef or chicken. You can use it in salads, sandwiches, pasta dishes ... any way you can think of.

Q: What can I do with the shells, legs and cooking water that are left over?

A: There are many excellent recipes for making lobster stock on the web. Try Food TV or Epicurious.

Q: Should I cook the lobsters with the rubber bands on?

A: Most folks don't seem to care if the claw bands are on or not for cooking. Some say they impart a taste to the lobster. If you do decide to remove the rubber bands from the claws before cooking, only do so right before cooking and be sure you know how to handle a lobster without getting pinched (yes, it hurts!). The smaller ones can be quite agile.

Q: I cooked my lobsters and opened them up. What's all the colored stuff in there besides the meat, and is it safe to eat?

A: There are several noteworthy non-meat components you'll find in a cooked lobster. They are all safe to eat. Lets go by color:

Green: Tomalley. Considered a delicacy by many.

Red: Coral. This is the cooked roe (eggs) of the females. Also a delicacy.

Black: The black gooey stuff you may find is actually uncooked roe. If you heat it gently, it will turn red.

White: The white gel (typically found in the claws) is cooked lobster blood. Although not distinctive in flavor, it's safe to eat.

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

A: When a lobster outgrows it’s hard shell (old shell), it molts and sheds (discards) the old shell. The lobster has a very soft new shell that was growing underneath that old shell. This new shell is larger than the old shell so the lobster has room to grow. As the lobster feeds the new shell hardens.

A hard shell lobster is full of meat, drier, tougher, and has a thick hard shell and cost more per pound. A soft shell lobster has less meat but the meat is juicier, sweeter, tenderer, and less expensive per pound.

Q: How often does a lobster molt?

A: A lobster will molt 20-25 times before it becomes of legal size, this is about 4-5 times each year. After a lobster has molted it is very vulnerable because the new shell is so soft. After a lobster has shed it will hide around the rocks on the ocean floor for about 6-8 weeks while the shell is hardening up enough to offer some protection.

Q: What is a shedder?

A: A shedder is what the fishermen call a new or soft shell lobster.

Q: What is tomalley? Is it safe to eat?

A: The tomalley functions like a combination intestine, liver, and pancreas. Yes, it is safe to eat some people really like the taste of it.

Q: What is the red stuff that you see sometimes in a lobster? Is it safe to eat?

A: This is the roe or unfertilized eggs in female lobsters. It is called coral, and yes you can also eat this.

Q: What are culls?

A: Culls are lobsters with only one claw, or a lobster with one claw considerably shorter than the other claw. Lobsters can loose a claw for several different reasons. They could loose one in a fight with another lobster, a lobster will also shoot off his own claw as a defense mechanism if he feels threatened.

Q: What is a chicken?

A: A chicken is a lobster that weighs about one pound.

Q: What is a quarter?

A: A quarter is a lobster that weighs about 1 1/4 pounds.

Q: What is a half?

A: A half is a lobster that weighs about 1 1/2 pounds.

Q: What is a select?

A: A select is a lobster that weighs between 1 3/4 pounds and 2 1/3 pounds.

Q: What is a jumbo?

A: A jumbo is a lobster that weighs between 2 1/2 pounds and 4 pounds.

Q: What do they call baby lobsters?

A: A baby lobster is sometimes called a cricket.

Q: How long does it take before a baby lobster is a legal size to keep?

A: I takes about 5-7 years before a lobster becomes a legal sized lobster.

Q: What do they call undersized lobsters that have to be thrown back into the water?

A: Fishermen call undersized lobsters shorts or snappers.

Q: What is the black vein in the tail and should you remove it before you eat the tail?

A: The black vein in the tail is the intestine, which is part of the digestive system. Even though it will not harm you, yes you should remove it before you eat the tail.

Q: How do you tell if a lobster is alive?

A: A lobster is alive as long as it is moving its legs, tail, or antennae. You should always make sure a lobster is alive before cooking it.

Q: How many lobsters does it take to get a pound of meat?

A: This all depends on the time of year. During the winter months it takes about 4 _ pounds of live lobster to get a pound of lobster meat, but in the summer months it takes any where from 6-7 pounds of live lobster to get a pound of lobster meat.

Q: How do you handle a lobster safely without getting pinched?

A: To ensure that you won’t get pinched or bit by a lobster while handling you must hold it by its carapace (this is the long solid shell over its back before the tail). Also be careful not to hold a lobster by the tail, the underneath side of their flipping tails can hurt almost a much as being pinched.

Q: When are lobsters less expensive to buy and why?

A: In Maine lobsters are least expensive from August-November, this is the time of year they are most plentiful.

Q: How old is the oldest lobster?

A: There really isn’t a way to accurately determine the age of a lobster, but it is believed that some lobsters have been estimated to be nearly 100 years old

Q: How do you tell a male lobster from a female lobster?

A: Examine the first set of appendages behind the walkers (small legs). The male appendages will be bony while the female appendages will be feathery. With a little practice you can also tell by looking at the top of the tail. The female’s tail is wider than the males tail to accommodate the egg masses.

Q: Why are lobsters banded?

A: Fishermen don’t only band lobsters to protect humans from being pinched, but also to prevent one lobsters from pinching another.