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SIXTEEN POUND CRUSTACEAN GETS CELEBRITY TREATMENT
"Leonard the Lobster" Makes Guest Appearance at Stew Leonard's in Honor of August Being Maine National Lobster Month

NORWALK, Conn., August 15, 2002 - Stew Leonard's is known for its top quality lobster at a good value, and between the three stores, sells about 250,000 lobsters annually. The average-size lobster sold in the store weighs about 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 pounds (categorized as a large). But there is one lobster that is not for sale - he's just visiting. In honor of August being Maine National Lobster Month, Stew Leonard's has their very own celebrity crustacean, "Leonard the Lobster," who weighs 16 pounds, measures two feet, 10 inches in length and is estimated to be 67 years-old.

	"Leonard the Lobster" hails from off the southern coast of Maine. He'll be returning to those waters after Labor Day, but will be making exclusive appearances at the following Stew Leonard's stores:
	August 16 - 27	Yonkers
	August 28 - September 3	Norwalk

"WOW" said Stew Leonard Jr, pictured holding "Leonard the Lobster" with Omar Oweis, asst. manager in the Fish Dept.

While experts concur that there is no definitive way to gauge a lobster's exact age, one accepted formula is: weight (in pounds) multiplied by four, then adding three. On average, it takes approximately five to seven years for a lobster to reach one pound - the minimum legal size. According to the New England Aquarium, it is believed that in the wild lobsters can approach 100 years or more in age and grow to be three feet or more in overall body length.

To even get to weigh one pound in size, a lobster molts, or sheds their shell, approximately 25 times in the first five to seven years. During this process, a lobster struggles out of their old shell while simultaneously absorbing water, which expands their body size. Once they reach one pound, a lobster may then only molt as little as once per year and increase about 15 percent in length and 40 percent in weight.

The following are some of Stew Leonard, Jr.'s tips for selecting and preparing lobster:

As a rule, the colder the water, the better the lobster - hence the cachet for Maine and Canadian lobsters.

I judge the quality of a lobster based on how lively it is in the tank. Active lobsters will hold their claws up (versus hanging limply) and have their tail curled under them. Lobsters do not eat in captivity, so if they sit too long in a tank, they slowly die. At Stew's, we installed specially designed lobster tanks that circulate sea water and are similar to the ones used by our lobstermen in Maine and Canada that keep lobsters healthy. Since we buy only newly caught lobsters, our lobsters are held for less than one week in the store.

When you buy a lobster, touch the shell. It should be hard and thick. Soft shells indicate one of two things - that the lobster has recently shed its shell and is growing into a new one (in which case the meat would be skimpy), or that the lobster comes from warm waters.

Once you bring a Stew Leonard's lobster home, it is recommended that you cook it as soon as possible. Hard shell lobsters can be kept alive for up to 48 hours at home, if you store it in an open container in the refrigerator, covered with seaweed or seawater-dampened towels or newspaper to keep the gills moist.

Cooking a lobster too long can make it tough. A good rule of thumb for cooking a lobster is 13 minutes for the first pound, and up to two minutes for each pound after that. Once a lobster is cooked, it can be stored in airtight containers and used within three days.