Oyster Proverb

Oyster- Mississippi State Shell - photo courtesy of Neeta Lind/Flickr CC By-2.0

Month with an “r”: January, February, March, April, September, October, November, December

Although oysters in the Gulf of Mexico can spawn throughout the year because of warm Gulf currents; most oysters spawn in the summer and have a soft and fatty texture with an unpleasant water taste. They lose the lean, firm texture and bright flavor that they have during the other months of the year, hence our little saying to help remember the optimum months for oysters.

Oyster Shucking

Tap the oyster’s shell to see if they react. If the shell is open, it will snap shut. If it stays open the oyster is dead or sick. Don’t eat it. If the oyster is closed and it makes an odd clacking sound, it is dead and full of sand; once again don’t eat it.

Once you’ve checked that all of your oysters are alive and safe to eat, you need to pry open their shells. To do this wear heavy gloves to protect your hands. More people have cut themselves opening oysters than probably any other item. A shucking knife is the best tool with a short, triangular, thick blade about 2-3 inches long. If you use something else, you increase your possibility of getting cut by a lot.

Pros can open an oyster in about 3 seconds, but you are not a pro, so don’t try to match their time. Insert the knife in the hinge at the bottom of the shell and twist. The shucking knife will break the hinge and open the shell. Careful, the shell is sharp!

Oysters on the Half Shell - Allerina & Glen MacLarty/Flickr CC By-2.0

If you boil the oysters, they will naturally open as they die, and you can save yourself the job of shucking them. If they don’t open, they were dead already and you shouldn’t eat them. Oysters are safest to eat when they are cooked, since they can carry bacteria and other pathogens. Purists like to eat them raw (Oysters on the Half Shell), but since oysters are filter feeders their system can concentrate any undesirable bacteria from their surroundings. Be careful with the choices you make.

Mississippi State Legislature-Official State Shell
The Oyster

An act designating the Oyster Shell (Crassostrea virginica) as the State Shell was approved April 12, 1974, Chapter 551, General Laws of Mississippi of 1974.

Oyster Delicacies

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Mayhaw jelly was chosen as the official state jelly of the state of Louisiana in 2003.

The Mayhaw is a variety of Southern hawthorn that yields yellow to bright-red fruits with a taste similar to a tart crab apple. This unique jelly is made from Mayhaw juice. The plant is one of the last wild U.S. fruit trees that has not yet been commercialized.  It is estimated that there are more than 200 varieties of mayhaw, many native to Louisiana. Others are of Chinese ancestry, where the mayhaw has been cultivated for over a 1,000 years, often for medicinal purposes, according to the USDA

Mayhaw Jelly

Ingredients

• 5 cups juice
• 7 1/2 cups sugar
• 1.35 oz. pectin

Directions

1. Heat juice and add pectin.
2. Bring to a boil and add sugar.
3. Bring to boil again and boil for 30 seconds.
4. Remove from heat and spoon off foam.
5. Place in jars.

If you are starting from the Mayhaw fruit, do the following:

1. Remove the stems and blossom ends from mayhaws; place in large saucepan.
2. Add water. Bring to boil.
3. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 min., stirring occasionally.
4. Crush cooked mayhaws.
5. Place three layers of damp cheesecloth in large bowl.
6. Pour prepared fruit into cheesecloth.
7. Tie cheesecloth closed; hang and let drip into bowl until dripping stops. Press gently.
8. Measure exactly 4 cups prepared juice into 6- or 8-qt. saucepot. (Add up to 1/2 cup water for exact measure, if necessary.)

Delicious Mayhaw Jelly

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