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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A tisane is an herbal tea, and Delaware’s state herb, Sweet Goldenrod, makes an herbal tea that has a light anise-like taste.

For a very light anise tasting tea: Pick the leaves fresh, wash, and then steep with boiling water as usual.

For a stronger, more complex, bright green-gold tea: Pick the leaves of the Sweet Goldenrod, wash them, and then lay them out on a cookie sheet. Slowly dry the leaves in a very low oven until they are dry, but not scorched. Store in an airtight container.

To make the tea: Steep with boiling water, and add a little honey or sugar. This version of the tea has a little bitterness, so the sweetener will round out the taste.

My thanks to Jonathan M. Forester’s article Backyard Tea: Sweet Goldenrod Tea for the information on this tea.

Tasty Goldenrod Treats for You

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