Hi. I have never had these before and thought they could be used at a party. Amazon Fresh Oysters x 6 £40. Question is can these be frozen and if so would this harm the flavour if they were thawing out at a later date?
Desmond.
Desmond.
Freezing oysters
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Jade Emperor
Sous Chef
No. Just don’t.
The texture once thawed will be horrible, metallic tasting mush, with all the beautiful, briny iodine levels of delicacy completely ruined.
Don’t do it, please.
The texture once thawed will be horrible, metallic tasting mush, with all the beautiful, briny iodine levels of delicacy completely ruined.
Don’t do it, please.
Additionally, freezing oysters can alter their flavor so that it tastes a little more fishy, and the texture can turn softer and become mushy, affecting how you can use them (via canyoufreezethis.com). The National Center for Home Food Preservation cautions that you should only freeze oysters still in the shell live. Due to the change in texture freezing may cause, they recommend serving frozen oysters that have been thawed and cooked in dishes such as stews and casseroles.
Read More: https://www.mashed.com/1156862/the-scientific-reason-frozen-oysters-are-a-massive-l/
Read More: https://www.mashed.com/1156862/the-scientific-reason-frozen-oysters-are-a-massive-l/
Jade Emperor
Sous Chef
Yuck
Aunt Bea
Master Chef
I would buy locally or from a trusted shipper that specializes in shellfish and offers overnight delivery times to arrive on the day of or day before the party.
I’m not familiar with this company but it is the type of company that I would look for.
thewrightbrothers.co.uk
I’m not familiar with this company but it is the type of company that I would look for.
Buy Fresh Oysters Online - Premium Quality
Buy fresh oysters from the UK's finest selection of quality seafood. Delivered from British seas straight to your door, from as little as £14. Shop today.
thewrightbrothers.co.uk
Jade Emperor
Sous Chef
Many, many years ago, I was fascinated by the Champagne Oysters that Marco Pierre White made famous at Harvey’s.
I pestered my chef to let me have a go at them as my submission for the next summer menu.
Eventually, he reluctantly ordered four dozen oysters for me to prepare the dishes for the big wigs to sample and evaluate for the summer menu. They were the smallest oysters I have ever seen and came in frozen.
I was heartbroken, but as a young chef with no balls, I submitted the dish anyway. I couldn’t have been more embarrassed about my dish and it was rightly rejected outright.
Don’t freeze oysters.
I pestered my chef to let me have a go at them as my submission for the next summer menu.
Eventually, he reluctantly ordered four dozen oysters for me to prepare the dishes for the big wigs to sample and evaluate for the summer menu. They were the smallest oysters I have ever seen and came in frozen.
I was heartbroken, but as a young chef with no balls, I submitted the dish anyway. I couldn’t have been more embarrassed about my dish and it was rightly rejected outright.
Don’t freeze oysters.
Gorgeous! I'm ordering those two Octopus serving dishes. I love them!
(as soon as I win the Lotto)
(as soon as I win the Lotto)
At least some oysters frozen in the shell are just fine, but they can't be served as a fresh raw oyster would be. Purge and clean them before freezing. I've frozen Gulf of Mexico oysters a couple of times then used them to make
louisiana.kitchenandculture.com
I serve them over a rice pilaf to soak up escaped oyster and butter juice.
Freezing them also makes it much easier to open them. I've not encountered the problems with taste or texture @Jade Emperor encountered. The description, however, makes me wonder if they were frozen because they were going off.
Gulf oysters are very reasonable for us. I would NOT, however, freeze the much more expensive and generally smaller to much smaller NE and Pacific coast oysters, which are meant for raw consumption.
Acme Chargrilled Oysters | Louisiana Kitchen & Culture
I serve them over a rice pilaf to soak up escaped oyster and butter juice.
Freezing them also makes it much easier to open them. I've not encountered the problems with taste or texture @Jade Emperor encountered. The description, however, makes me wonder if they were frozen because they were going off.
Gulf oysters are very reasonable for us. I would NOT, however, freeze the much more expensive and generally smaller to much smaller NE and Pacific coast oysters, which are meant for raw consumption.
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You don't want the oysters sitting directly on the ice. You could also put the ice in a large shallow bowl and set a cooking rack on top of it, oysters, then towel.
I use newspaper/flyers. Bowl of ice covered with some papers, wrap oysters/mussels/clams in several layers of the papers. The papers absorb the melting ice and keep the shellfish damp.
2 things to remember - do not submerge them in water (unless purging)
and do not close container(s) with plastic wrap (or close a plastic bag).
2 things to remember - do not submerge them in water (unless purging)
and do not close container(s) with plastic wrap (or close a plastic bag).
These oysters that are being kept over ice in the fridge, they are alive, aren't they?
Yes, taxy. Certainly hope so - very much alive.
Yes. We also keep other seafood over ice in the refrigerator if it's not purchased frozen and isn't going to be used same day. Think about it, how do seafood markets keep their seafood on display - over crushed ice.
JustinJames
Assistant Cook
Yes, you can freeze fresh oysters. Freezing them can extend their shelf life for up to 3 months, but it may slightly affect their texture and flavor when they are thawed.
It is best to consume oysters fresh for the best taste and quality.
It is best to consume oysters fresh for the best taste and quality.
