How to Harvest & Eat Oysters

Oyster are among the most popular of shellfish and have been enjoyed for thousands of years. Many areas within the Untied States harbor oysters. Chesapeake Bay in the mid-Atlantic region and the Apalachicola area in Florida are good examples. Many states allow for recreational harvesting of oysters. The process of collecting and eating oysters is relatively easy, with the right equipment.

Things You'll Need

• Small boat
• Hip waders
• Waterproof gloves
• Collecting nets
• 5-gallon buckets
• Oyster knife

Instructions

Harvesting Oysters

1. Locate an active oyster bed within a state-approved collecting area.

2. Don waders and gloves and prepare a collecting net. Take the boat as close to the water's edge as possible. Leave someone on board to move the boat, as the tide recedes, to prevent the boat from beaching.

3. Watch the tide. When the tide begins to draw away from the oyster bed, step overboard into the shallow water.

4. Work your way along the waters edge, searching for single oysters of legal size. Pick each oyster up and examine it to ensure it is of legal limit and alive. Place the oyster in the collecting net. Continue collecting along the water's edge until the net is full.

5. Take the full net to the boat and hang it over the side so the oysters remain underwater. Grab another net and continue, if you have not reach the legal limit.

6. Place the oysters collected into 5-gallon buckets for transport home.

Eating Oysters

1. Put on safety gloves to shuck each oyster. Use an oyster knife to open each oyster by inserting the knife point into the joint where the shell halves meet. Then lever the shell apart.

2. Scrape the connective tissue of the oyster from the shell with the knife to free the meat.

3. Serve the oyster raw, on the half-shell, or on a cracker with hot sauce or cocktails sauce.

4. Grill whole oysters by heating them, shell and all, on a hot grill or griddle until they pop open. Then open the shell, free the meat and eat.

5. Fry oysters by removing the meat from the shell. Dredge the oyster in a seasoned flower coating and plunge briefly in hot oil until golden brown.

6. Create a chowder and add oysters to it for flavor and texture.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure to carefully follow the laws in the state you are collecting in, including licensing requirements, harvest area restrictions and bag limits.

• Raw oysters can harbor a disease, known as vibro vulnificus, which can cause severe illness, or even death, if consumed.

References

• Texas Parks and Wildlife: Eastern Oyster
• BeaufortUSA.com: Catching Oysters in Beaufort
• Georgia Department of Natural Resources: Recreational Harvest of Oysters and Clams