Oyster FAQs

Why would any one want to eat an Oyster?

There are not many food items in the world that evoke the question,

“How hungry did the first person have to be to eat that?”

If you are undaunted by the oyster’s rough, rock-hard, nearly-impossible-to-open shell, the undoubtedly famished first taster would find this seminal slurper a surprising reward with our oyster’s delicate, toothy texture, rich creamy flavor, and salty liquor high in calcium, iron, and protein. Admittedly, they’re not for everyone, but adventurous humans the world over have enjoyed oysters, raw and cooked, for thousands of years.

How many Oysters should I buy when hosting a dinner party?

A good rule of thumb to be aware of is half the people you know love oysters and the remainder don’t like them or are happy to try, therefore when hosting a dinner party you will need approximately 1/2 dozen oysters per guest.

What should I look for when buying an Oyster?

• Buy from someone reputable, who specialises in oysters and seafood
• Always keep oysters refrigerated, this ensures freshness and prolongs the oysters life out of the water
• Never eat an oyster that won’t open when cooked won’t close when tapped. These two tests means an oyster is alive and ready to eat
• Unopened oysters will last up to ten days out of the water when refrigerated, opened oysters (half shell) will last approximately five days

What is the best way to handle and store my Oysters?

• Opened oysters held in 1-5 degree Celsius refrigeration will last safely for up to 5 days
• Correct storage and handling of oysters will reduce the bacteria that can multiply in food and cause illness
• Opened oysters should be eaten with 24 hours of purchase and be stored in the fridge between 0C and 5C
• Unopened oysters can easily last 7 – 10 days in a clean 1-4 degree Celsius refrigerated environment
• If oysters are gaping (which they do naturally) give them a firm tap and they should close up again and not stay sprung open
• Unopened oysters are live animals but should be stored at less than 10C for Pacific Oysters if depurated or directly harvested more than 72 hours before purchase (most cases) should be refrigerated at <5°C within 30 minutes after opening and should be covered to protect them from contamination

Important: if they do not close, discard them. All oysters should have a fresh marine smell. If you have any doubts over their shelf life and they still smell fine then cooking them is your best option.

Can I freeze Oysters?

Freezing oysters is fine opened or unopened. They should be covered or contained with something to prevent freezer burn. Ideally frozen oysters should be put in the fridge overnight to let them thaw out naturally. Upon thawing out they should be consumed within the day and not frozen again.

Do Hawkesbury River Oysters produce Pearls?

Although it is possible for food oysters to produce pearls, they should not be confused with actual pearl oysters, which are from a different family of bivalves. True oysters, which belong to the Ostreidae family, are found throughout the world’s oceans, usually in shallow waters and in colonies called beds or reefs. Ours of course are commercially grown and harvested by various methods such as the traditional rack and trays, oyster cylinders, hanging baskets etc.  The Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas), is one of the most popular and heavily harvested species found from Japan to Washington state and as far south as Australia and the Pacific.

Our oyster shells are usually oval or pear-shaped, but will vary widely in form depending on how they are grown. They are generally whitish-gray in outer shell color, and their inside shell is usually a porcelain white. They have extremely strong adductor muscles to close their shells when threatened.

How do Oysters feed?

Oysters feed by extracting algae and other food particles from the water they are almost constantly drawing over their gills. They reproduce when the water warms by broadcast spawning, and will change gender once or more during their lifetime.

Commercial harvesting of our oysters is regulated throughout their range, and they are not currently listed as threatened or endangered. However, they are extremely sensitive to water quality and susceptible to coastal pollution, and populations in many areas where they were once abundant have dwindled or disappeared.