Oyster Shucking Technique
An oyster has two shells. One shell is shaped like a cup, and the other forms a flattened lid (see drawing). The two shells are joined together at one end with a narrow, pointed hinge. A single muscle holds the two shells closed. The ideal way to open a live oyster is to cut the muscle along the flat shell. Once the muscle is cut, the shells come apart easily.
The Oyster Knife
shucking.htm - topshucking.htm - topA standard oyster knife has a thickened blade with a fairly blunt tip. Such knives are made to force between thick, heavy shells. The shells of Sitka Sea Farm oysters are thin and do not require a special knife. Most table knives (from fork-spoon-knife sets) make acceptable shucking knives. The blades are rigid and are dull enough to reduce the risk of cutting yourself.
Holding the Oyster
The oyster can be held in the hand, or it can be placed before you on a steady working surface. Because the muscle is not in the center of the shell, when cutting the muscle, the oyster should be held differently for right- and left-handed people. Holding the oyster appropriately will put the muscle closer to the tip of the knife and will result in fewer cuts in the meat.
Right handers: With your left hand, hold the oyster with the cupped shell down and the hinge pointing towards you. The knife is held in the right hand with the blade pointing away from you.
Left handers. With your right hand, hold the oyster with the cupped shell down. The knife is held in the left hand. To open through the hinge, you can point the hinge towards you. However, before cutting the muscle, turn the oyster so the hinge is pointing away from you.
Cutting the Muscle
shucking.htm - topshucking.htm - topThere are two general strategies for getting the oyster knife between the two shells and cutting the muscle.
1) Use a twisting motion to insert the tip of the knife under the beak of the hinge, and pry the top shell up to lossen the hinge. Then push the tip of the knife between the shells and into the oyster just under the bottom of the flattened top shell. Cut the muscle where it attaches to the top (flat) shell. This is the preferred system, and has the advantage that the hinge is easy to locate. The disadvantage is that this is the strongest part of the shell, and forcing the oyster knife into the hinge may be intimidating to timid shuckers.
2) In the second strategy, the tip of the knife is pushed between the top (flat) and bottom (cupped) shells close to the muscle. The cut is also make where the muscle attaches to the shell. The disadvantage of this system is that the edges of the shells are fragile, and shell fragments are more likely to get into the meat. Also, it is often hard to see the location of the seam between the two shells. Breaking the edge of the shell near the muscle may help you locate the seam.
After the muscle is cut, remove the flattened shell. Ideally all of the fluids and the meat should remain in the cupped shell. Now cut the muscle where it attaches to the cupped shell. The muscle is all that holds the oyster to the shell, so with both ends of the muscle cut, the oyster can slide out of its shell.
"Paper" Cuts
shucking.htm - topshucking.htm - topDuring shucking, the frills on the oyster shell can make small cuts on your hand similar to paper cuts. Consequently, the hand that holds the oyster during shucking should be protected. Wear a glove, or hold the oyster in a towel or wash cloth. If you are opening a lot of oysters, you can sanitize the knife, wash cloths or glove with a sanitizing solution (1/2 teaspoon Clorox bleach to 1 quart of cold water).
Storing the Oysters
The oysters you buy from Sitka Sea Farm are alive, and will remain alive for several days in your refrigerator. If they are stored with the cupped side down, they will retain fluids and live even longer. This is the way they come packed in the bags. Keep the oysters in the plastic bag as this maintains a humid environment. Do not completely seal the bag as oysters need oxygen.
As long as the oyster can close its shells, it is still alive. If you see one gaping, it may just be resting its muscle or breathing. Tap the shell -- if it closes, you will know it is still alive.
Unfortunately, we sometimes sell an oyster which may develop an aroma after a week of storage. As long as an oyster is alive, it does not smell, so the odor is caused by an organism that was living on the shell and died. Though we handle each oyster individually, and try to remove these unwanted organisms, we sometimes miss one. Try washing the offending oyster. If that doesn't work, dump it, and let us know next time you order. We will give you a refund or a replacement oyster.
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