{"id":195,"date":"2021-05-31T16:03:44","date_gmt":"2021-05-31T16:03:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bossoyster.com\/?p=195"},"modified":"2021-06-20T02:46:24","modified_gmt":"2021-06-20T02:46:24","slug":"how-to-clean-oysters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bossoyster.com\/how-to-clean-oysters\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Clean Oysters"},"content":{"rendered":"
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You need to clean oysters before you shuck and eat them. For as long as we have been eating oysters, we’ve been devising ways to separate the dirt, mud, and grime from the sealed oyster shells.<\/p>\n
Many cooking recipes for oysters require them to be cooked in or with their shells, so the shells have to be clean before you can do that. Raw oysters are often served in their half-shell, so they need to be clean if coming into contact with your mouth.<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n To clean and shuck an oyster<\/a>, you’ll need the following:<\/strong><\/p>\n From here, some leave their oysters in a small bowl of icy water for a short while, about eight to ten minutes.<\/p>\n During that time, there should be sand and other specks of dirt visible at the bottom of the bowl. That’s how you know it’s working.<\/p>\n It also softens the dirt and debris that’s still attached to the shell, making it easier to scrub off with a brush. <\/p>\n To scrub, you’ll likely need to hold it, which we’d recommend doing with a towel or a protective glove so you don’t cut your fingers.<\/p>\n Others prefer to use moving water, so they place the oysters in crushed ice inside a colander and then run tap water through it. This has the same effect, softening dirt so you can scrub it all away.<\/p>\n You may also need to make sure the inside of the oysters is clean, which means shucking them.<\/p>\n Using the towel or glove to keep your hand safe, you hold the oyster in that hand and the knife<\/a> in your dominant one.<\/p>\n Bury your knife into the back hinge, making sure that the cup is down. Don’t push in too far so you don’t harm the meat.<\/p>\n Twist and lift the knife to the right and the shell should be split. Then you drag the knife along the bottom of the detached shell to separate the connective tissue.<\/p>\n Throughout the process, try to minimize liquid spillage and keep shell chips out of the meat.<\/p>\n Inspect the interior and the meat of the oyster to make sure it’s clean. Any crushed ice left is great for serving freshly shucked oysters on but don’t let them sit for more than thirty minutes if intending to eat fresh.<\/p>\n When you clean oysters, you should start with the freshest oysters available to you.<\/p>\n If you’re in a place where you can find oysters yourself, in places where they won’t be contaminated with bacteria.<\/p>\n As always, stay away from the open ones as they’re dead and contaminated by bacteria from both outside the shell and inside decomposition. <\/p>\n Remember to tap them, a live oyster will snap shut and still be good for eating.<\/p>\n You’re cleaning your oysters for a reason, to make them safe and hygienic to eat.<\/p>\n While you can eat oysters raw, some prefer them cooked, especially if they’re pre-shucked oysters that have lost some freshness but are still great when prepared correctly.<\/p>\n If you’re working with shelled oysters, they’ll be dirty and slightly muddy from the salty under-sea environments where they’re found. Cleaning those is simple, you just place them in a colander and rinse them under cold water.<\/p>\n Some also like to cover them with ice because this makes them easier to scrub the grime away. Sometimes this requires a toothbrush or a firm scrub brush to properly remove dirt.<\/p>\n\n
How to Clean Fresh Oysters<\/strong><\/h2>\n
How to Clean Oysters Before Cooking<\/strong><\/h2>\n