Oyster Months???

[lyndalou]

A friend loves oysters, but will not eat them on the half shell if the month does not have an "R" in it? She says they are not edible at that time eaten raw. Is this true or a myth?

 

[Bacardi1]

It's not that they're "inedible" during non-"R" months, just that non-"R" months fall during the late spring & summer months (May, June, July, & August) when oysters are spawning. While they're perfectly edible, spawning does have an effect on the texture & flavor of the oyster. The meat is softer, & the flavor is sort of bland & milky. This is more apparent when they're eaten raw.

 

[CraigC]

Probably originated around the Chesapeake Bay area. I know my family believes it. They are from Maryland. Being that the water is much warmer during the late spring and summer months, I guess bacteria levels are up and the risk is greater. Considering oysters from cold waters would not be subject to the "saying", it must be a regional thing.

 

[Addie]

I have always considered it a bunch of hogwash. But Barcardi is right. The same thing goes for shrimp, lobsters, etc. With shellfish, they are not only spawning, but also adding more rings to their shells so the have room to grow. Shrimp, lobsters shed their shells and are water logged and the meat has no flavor.

 

[CWS4322]

The "rule" dates back before refrigeration--they would spoil quickly once harvested. Now that refrigeration is the norm, oysters can be eaten year around.

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Good Evening,

Thanks for posting ... Very Interesting Post.

In both Spain and Italia, this piece of advice is very common; May, June, July, August one should not eat oysters ...

Our Oyster Season is Thanksgiving time through end of Februrary.

Have nice evening.
Margi.

 

[jennyema]

The "rule" dates back before refrigeration--they would spoil quickly once harvested. Now that refrigeration is the norm, oysters can be eaten year around.

+1 Thats exactly right

Its perfectly fine to eat raw oysters year round now.

Its much more important to get them from a reliable source than to worry about the time of year you are eating tehm in.

 

[lyndalou]

Thanks, everyone. I'll pass this on.

 

[Claire]

Bacardi mentioned what I'd learned, not only that they weren't quite as good, but that it was best to let the oyster fields alone while spawning to help keep the supply going.

 

[Dawgluver]

That's what I read too. They're much "thinner" during spawning season. They're tired!

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

The "R" months are September, October, November and December, right?

 

[Andy M.]

Not to mention January, February, March, April

 

[Addie]

Starting this month, the shrimp are heading into the bays and shallow waters to shed their shells. The lobsters are looking for rocks to hide under. And clams and other shellfish are digging deeper in the sand to increase the size of their shells. Soft shell and steamer clams are already showing up in our local supermarkets. It is harder work and deeper digging for our clammers.

 

[Claire]

I had a friend who loved oysters so much that he'd say, I can have these now, it is Mray (Jrune, Jury, Argust), isn't it?

 

[Addie]

When we lived in Texas, Son #2 would go down to the harbor and sit on the end of the dock. He would take a large can and scoop up shrimp that had come in to shed their shells. Then he would sell them to the tourists or the bait shop for pocket money. There were thousands of shrimp just for the picking them up. But most of them had no shellls. Not fit for eating.