summer oysters ?????????
Mar 26th, 2005, 11:09 AM
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summer oysters ?????????
Do they sell oysters in summer in NOLA ? Although you can eat them then, they spawn at this time and are not supposed to be as tasty as during the 'R' months.
Mar 26th, 2005, 07:53 PM
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Hmmm. Not so CG. There are many oyster fishermen in Florida. Unfortunately, there are fewer and fewer oyster beds because of pollution. But Appalachicola oysters are a real thing!
The key to good oysters is keeping them cold. They are at their best. That's why you don't want them in a non-R month.
The key to good oysters is keeping them cold. They are at their best. That's why you don't want them in a non-R month.
Mar 27th, 2005, 06:28 AM
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Having bought and sold oysters in Florida for over 20 years now, I just have to jump in!
Cigelachanta is correct. Gulf coast oysters are farm raised in leased oyster beds. They are federally-approved beds in federally-approved areas, and the oystermen must have federal approval to harvest and sell 'em. (You get the picture - heavily regulated now) Production is way down, we rarely see Apalachicola oysters at all, due to the beds being buried by the hurricanes (not necessarily pollution). Most come from beds in Texas, Alabama, and Louisiana. So I'd say your chances for NOLA oyster tasting are great!
Oysters used to be so plentiful, sold in giant burlap bushel bags. No more. Now they are sold in small boxes of 60-80 and come from a variety of sources. However, they are still delicious, and can be had every month of the yeaR. Modern refrigerators keep 'em cold no matter what month it is. Since last summer's four hurricanes in the Gulf, they have been smaller than normal, they need recovery time to catch up in size and quantity.
And getting sick: a bad oyster can give you the cruds it's true. No question about it. But the real danger with (raw!) oysters is for those with liver disease or compromised immune systems (those with HIV, or on chemo, or alcoholics), because there is a bacteria SOMETIMES present called "Vibrio vulnificus". Healthy people can process this bacteria with no problem, but for those with immune problems, it can lead to death.
And lastly, as delicious as Gulf Coast oysters are, the variety available from Pacific waters makes those oysters even more of a delicacy. I was truly amazed when I visited Seattle last year, and they were sold by description of origin and flavor - they all looked and tasted different too. Somebody pass the hot sauce!
Cigelachanta is correct. Gulf coast oysters are farm raised in leased oyster beds. They are federally-approved beds in federally-approved areas, and the oystermen must have federal approval to harvest and sell 'em. (You get the picture - heavily regulated now) Production is way down, we rarely see Apalachicola oysters at all, due to the beds being buried by the hurricanes (not necessarily pollution). Most come from beds in Texas, Alabama, and Louisiana. So I'd say your chances for NOLA oyster tasting are great!
Oysters used to be so plentiful, sold in giant burlap bushel bags. No more. Now they are sold in small boxes of 60-80 and come from a variety of sources. However, they are still delicious, and can be had every month of the yeaR. Modern refrigerators keep 'em cold no matter what month it is. Since last summer's four hurricanes in the Gulf, they have been smaller than normal, they need recovery time to catch up in size and quantity.
And getting sick: a bad oyster can give you the cruds it's true. No question about it. But the real danger with (raw!) oysters is for those with liver disease or compromised immune systems (those with HIV, or on chemo, or alcoholics), because there is a bacteria SOMETIMES present called "Vibrio vulnificus". Healthy people can process this bacteria with no problem, but for those with immune problems, it can lead to death.
And lastly, as delicious as Gulf Coast oysters are, the variety available from Pacific waters makes those oysters even more of a delicacy. I was truly amazed when I visited Seattle last year, and they were sold by description of origin and flavor - they all looked and tasted different too. Somebody pass the hot sauce!
Mar 27th, 2005, 06:49 AM
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There are Pacific Coast oysters that are harvasted in the cold Northwest Pacific during the summer, BUT IMHO, they are yucky. They are HUGE and lack the salty Appalachicola quality flavor. Maybe I'm just biased, since I was born and raised in Florida.
Apr 22nd, 2005, 07:28 AM
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We have visited Nola in April, May, August, and October. We always go to the Acme Oyster house soon as we arrive, and truthfully, they have tasted the same(succulent) each and every trip.
Pass the lemon with that hot sauce.
Pass the lemon with that hot sauce.
Apr 22nd, 2005, 08:30 AM
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Oh, please, Tandoori, you don't HAVE to get hepatitis or a fatal disease from oysters. Since all 3 of us came down with the trots with a pretty predictable time after eating them, I'm pretty sure that was it. It can happen anywhere. Had the bad luck to have it happen at an oyster roast on Hilton Head.
Apr 26th, 2005, 07:55 PM
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I think maybe the oysters eaten in Savannah, Georgia are still 'wild'. I had the best oysters of my life there at an oyster roast in a private home. I'd never seen oysters like this. Dozens stuck together in a sort of column, all different sizes. The only oysters i'd encountered before these were the uniformly sized, individually shelled kind. While we were partying I walked out on the dock and it was easy to see oysters all over the mud flats at low tide. The host said the oysters we were eating were purchased from a local commercial oysterman because he liked the flavor better.
That oyster bake and a thing they called a 'boil' were the best eating you can imagine.
That oyster bake and a thing they called a 'boil' were the best eating you can imagine.
Apr 26th, 2005, 08:04 PM
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I am now a little confused. I assumed (just like Bedar) that the reason you didn't eat oysters in non-"R" months was because of spawning. (You CAN eat them, but they won't be as plump and juicy) ... I never heard anything about not eating them because of water temp.
Apr 26th, 2005, 08:04 PM
#20
I prefer oysters only raw and when eating out we know the restaurants where we have them like Legal seafoods who has a microbiologist on the staff to ensure safe eating. My husband buys andshucks them for me on special days like my birthday. We eat alot of them regularly.
