Question 1

How do we shuck oysters?

Accepted Answer

SHUCKING? EASY. WATCH OUR VIDEO FOR TIPS. JOIN OUR MASTERCLASS TO MASTER IT. HAPPY SHUCKING!

Question 2

What's inside my shucking kit?

Accepted Answer

The shucking kit has all the items you need on your journey of begining to open oysters.  Watch the video for an introduction to the pieces.

Question 3

How to store live oysters?

Accepted Answer

KEEP THEM DARK, DAMP, 12-16°C. WINE FRIDGE IDEAL. AFTER SHUCKING, REFRIGERATE AT 4°C.

Question 4

What is wet storage of oysters?

Accepted Answer

Wet storage is where oysters are kept submerged under water.  Farmers sometimes use this method to smooth the supply chain out.  Oysters that are wet stored in foreign, sterilised water away from where they were grown tend to loose provenance and their taste can be muted after only a few days in wet storage.  We don't believe this storage method is of beneficial if you are wanting to preserve  the  merroir of oysters

Question 5

Why no pre-shucked oysters?

Accepted Answer

WE KEEP IT NATURAL. LEARN TO SHUCK. GREAT PARTY TRICK!

Question 6

What are native oysters?

Accepted Answer

There are three species of oysters commonly eaten in Australia - Sydney Rock Oysters, Pacific Oysters & Flat Oysters. Whilst the Pacific oyster (introduced in the 1940's) is the most common species grown worldwide and largest in Australia, the Sydney rock oyster and the Flat oyster are species endemic (native) to Australia.

Question 7

Why do you call them rock oysters instead of Sydney Rock Oysters?

Accepted Answer

Unlike many oysters around the world, we have always referred colloquially to them as the 'Sydney Rock Oyster' (even though none are commercially produced in Sydney, thankfully) rather than the estuary it comes from. Yet, oysters around the world have long-been sold under their regional name, a credit to the intricacies of flavour provided by their merroir rather than simply their species. As such, the Sydney Rock is a strange name for an oyster that grows naturally along some 1,200km of coastline - with each estuary adding its own character to the oyster. Therefore, it makes much more sense to call them Rock Oysters and name them by the estuary in which they grow. For example, the Merimbula Rock Oyster

Question 8

How to spot bad oysters?

Accepted Answer

BAD SMELL? TAP TO FIND THE HOLLOW ONE. SCRUB OUTSIDE, NO SOAKING. TRUST YOUR NOSE.

Question 9

Can I give Live Native Oysters as a gift?

Accepted Answer

Yes! We offer gift certificates to allow the recipient to order what they want and have it delivered when they want it.

Question 10

What is merroir?

Accepted Answer

MERROIR = LOCAL CONDITIONS + FARMER'S CHOICES. TASTE SHAPED BY ENVIRONMENT, SEASON, TECHNIQUE.

Question 11

Oysters Glossary

Accepted Answer

Adductor:  The muscle  that connects the 2 shells (valves) of a bi-valve and controls the shell opening and closing.  Oysters with developed adductors exhibit greater sweetness and can keep their shells closed longer preserving their hydration when out of water.

Bivalve: Refers to a marine or freshwater mollusc with laterally compressed bodies enclosed by a shell in two hinged parts. Basically a fancy way of saying something with two shells: clams, oysters, scallops, mussels, etc.

Bottom culture Cultivating oysters by planting oysters loosely on the bottom during growout.

Brine The salty liquor of an oyster. “briny”: of or resembling brine; salty.

By-Catch Planktonic or larvae that colonize the surface area of an oyster's shell. Organisms include barnacles, tunicates, and tube worms.

Byssal Thread Strong fibers used by mussels and other bivalves to attach to surfaces. Commonly known as the "beard."

Cage Metal apparatus that holds nursery bags of oyster seed to protect from predators. Cage-culture Cultivating oysters in cages during growout.

Crassostrea gigas   Scientific name of a Pacific oyster.

Crassostrea sikamea   Scientific name of a Kumamoto oyster.

Cull To select and sort oysters by quality and size.

Depuration: The act of holding oysters in purified, treated seawater so that they can purge toxins or bacteria.

Downweller A water flow system usually used to set spat on microcultch.

Drag To harvest shellfish by dragging a rake and bag attached to a boat across the ocean bottom.

Finish The final taste impression of an oyster.

Fringe: The rounded part of an oyster shell, opposite the hinge. Isn't it convenient that they rhyme? The fringe is frequently fluted and covered in delicate new growth.

Floating culture Cultivating oysters in floating trays, bags, or rafts.

Garnish To decorate or adorn an oyster with other ingredients.

Grade To class or sort oysters dependent on size, shape, and quality.

Growout The time in which the oyster grows from seed to market size.

Hatchery A facility that spawns and fertilizes oysters to produce oyster seed.

Hinge  The point where a bivalve’s shells are joined.

Hyperphagia Period of time when animals eat excessively to prepare for winter dormancy.

Intertidal Cultivation: A method of growing oysters that results in them being out of the water at low tide.

Liquor The liquid in an oyster.

Longline A long cable anchored into the ocean bottom that bags or equipment can attach to.

Mantle: The edge of the oyster, frequently dark or black in color. Mantle plays a key role in shell formation, so when you shuck an oyster to eat, check the mantle for new growth before you slurp.

Merroir An oyster's characteristic taste and flavor imparted by its environment. Similar to the "terroir" of wine.

Microcultch Very fine piece of oyster shell that oyster larvae settle on in a hatchery.

Mignonette A traditional sauce served with oysters usually made with red wine or sherry vinegar, crushed black peppercorns, and minced shallot.

Mud blister Black areas or mud pockets along the inside perimeter of an oyster’s shell; caused by Polydora websteri.

Negative tide An unusually low tide that exposes the ocean bottom.

Nursery A filter-feed system that protects and nourishes baby oysters to a healthy size.

Off-bottom culture Cultivating oysters via methods that keep oysters off the bottom.

Ostreaphile.  An lover or aficionado of oysters as food.

Ostrea Angasi - Scientific name of a Native Australian mud oyster.

Pacific Oyster: Oyster species (Crassostrea gigas) native to Japan. Introduced in the early 1940s. The easiest species to cultivate, they're grown commercially around the world and offer a wide range of flavor profiles depending on growing location and technique.

Phytoplankton Plankton consisting of microscopic plants that oysters feed on.

Purge To remove grit or clean shellfish by soaking in water to filter through.

Rack-and-bag culture Cultivating oysters in bags that sit on racks.

Rake Harvest oysters by using a shellfish rake.

Saccostrea glomerata   Scientific name of a the "Sydney" Rock Oyster.

Spat  Baby oysters after they have set or attached to a growing surface.

Spawn The release of shellfish eggs and sperm into the water column. Shellfish tend to be weakest after spawning.

Subtidal Cultivation: A method of growing oysters below the tideline, either on the bottom or suspended from buoys or rafts. Subtidal oysters typically grow quickly because they're feeding constantly so they have to be rolled or tumbled frequently to maintain shell hardiness and shape.

Surface-culture See “floating culture.”

Suspended culture Cultivating oysters in suspended trays, bags, or rafts. Oysters do not touch the ocean bottom or float at the surface.

Tray-culture Cultivating oysters in oyster trays.

Triploid       organism with three sets of chromosomes, triploid oysters maintain consistent meat quality year round

Tumble Promote uniform and strong shell growth by chiseling its shell in a tumbler.

Upweller A water flow system that pushes nutrient rich water up through the nursery or silos to feed oyster seed. Can be an open or closed system.

Vibrio Naturally occurring bacteria in the ocean that can contaminate oysters and cause foodborne illnesses when consumed in high concentrations.

Wild set Wild oysters naturally set on ocean bottom or spat collectors.

FAQs