How To Enjoy Oysters At Home (2020 Update) - In A Half Shell

Author’s note: This blog post was originally published on March 5, 2012 but has been revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

Step 1: Buy the Oysters

I must have gotten my taste for oysters from my parents, because they love them as well. The last time when we all got together, we went out for oysters in their area. For my mom's birthday this year, I wanted to do things a little bit differently. I wanted to bring the oyster bar experience to them.

I ordered four dozen York River Oysters from Tommy Leggett and had them delivered to their doorstep in (the middle of nowhere) Connecticut.

From my experience, the best place to buy oysters is definitely directly through the oyster farmers. Oyster farmers are the keepers of the freshest goods and tend to offer the lowest prices. You should be able to find East Coast and West Coast oysters for about $1.25-$2.50 a piece. Farmers also are intimately familiar with their products so you know exactly where your seafood is coming from, and that is rarely the case at your local supermarket. A downside is that most growers only sell a few varieties if any at all to consumers. If you want to sample a variety of oysters, investigate seafood distributors or retailers.

If you want a wide variety and great product, check out Real Oyster Cult*!

How to buy the best and freshest oysters from your local seafood counter:

• Ask to try a sample to determine its freshness (even if you have to pay for it, it'll be well worth it)

• Ask to see the bag tag and examine the harvest date

• Ask to handpick the oysters if possible, and try to select the heaviest ones

• Examine your purchase: make sure none of the oysters are dead (the shells will be open and won't close when tapped)

You received your oyster shipment. Now what?

If you ordered oysters to be shipped to your door, make sure that you open the package immediately upon its arrival. There will be a couple of gel packs inside the box, which should still be frozen or very, very cold. I still suggest opening at one or two oysters to check the quality upon arrival. Also, be careful if you want to keep them over ice. As the ice melts and temperature rises, the freshwater can kill the oyster if they're submerged for an extended period of time, and decide to open back up. Fresh and live oysters will glisten in their shells and should also contain a good amount of liquor. To test its "alive-ness," scrape a fork prong along its mantle (outermost circumference of flesh). It should/might slowly shrink back.

How to store your live oysters to keep them happy:

If you're not planning to consume the oysters immediately when you receiving them, store them in the fridge at 32-39 degrees F, but take care NOT to freeze them. Covering them with a damp (not sopping wet) paper towel or kitchen towel is optional. Try your best to keep all of cup sides down. They can be kept happy and alive for several days, if not weeks, in that state.