CRAB AND LOBSTER FISHERIES 207 



wise, they may die. The claws are immobilized with plugs or wire ties. 

 In recent years a number of suitable and lighter containers for express 

 and air shipment have been developed, including corrugated boxes with 

 plastic liners, waterproof-cellophane, and aluminum containers. 



Freezing Lobsters. A small amount of cooked, whole lobsters and lobster 

 meat is frozen for later marketing. Tests ^' in which large deep-sea lob- 

 sters were cooked in boiling sea water for 30 minutes, air-cooled, and 

 frozen by immersion or blast freezer indicate that they could be stored 

 satisfactorily at 0°F for not more than four weeks. Flavor changes ren- 

 dered the cooked meat quite unacceptable after four weeks. Other tests^^ 

 indicate that storage of the cooked meat in hermetically sealed cans at 



— 20°F resulted in a better quality of the meat after 18 weeks than meat 

 similarly packaged and stored at 0°F. Raw lobsters are not recommended 

 for freezing because the meat sticks so tightly to the shell. Frozen lobster 

 specialties and recipes have been introduced recently with some success; 

 however, low storage temperatures and a quick turnover are essential for 

 quality. 



Canned Lobster Meat. Little lobster is canned because the canned lob- 

 ster meat is much inferior to the fresh cooked meat in flavor and texture. 

 Usually only quite small lobsters are used for canning. The cooked, 

 picked meat is washed free of blood and bits of viscera, drained, and 

 dipped into an organic acid, either citric or acetic, to prevent sulfide 

 blackening. The meat is packed into C-enamel cans with the claw meat 

 on top and heat processed like canned crab. The product does not store 

 well and should be marketed within a year for best results. 



Spiny or Rock Lobster. The spiny lobster {Panulirus argus) is caught 

 mainly by the wooden lath trap and improvised traps on the Florida 

 west coasts There is a smaller production of P. argus on the Florida east 

 coast and of P. interruptus in Southern California. These lobsters are 

 taken mainly in waters less than 50 feet deep, although they sometimes 

 occur in deeper water. A specialized dip net, called a bully net, is used 

 for spiny lobster fishing from a small skiff. Since there are no claws, the 

 spiny lobster tail is the main edible portion. The tail is simply removed, 

 cleaned and washed, and frozen either raw or cooked for shipment. The 

 tails are graded into five sizes from six ounce and under to sixteen ounce 

 and over. Packaged frozen tails, either raw or cooked, may be stored 

 successfully for six months at 0°F or preferably at lower temperatures. 

 Some frozen meat is packed in small four to six ounce cans with trans- 

 parent plastic tops. The frozen meat of the spiny lobster tends to get 

 tough, stringy, and strong-flavored if stored too long or at too high a 

 temperature. Storage for more than a few months should be at — 10 or 



— 20°F to minimize these adverse changes. 



