June Oyster of the Month

Heads up Shucker!

These choice oysters arrive in their natural state with mud from the waters and could use a quick rinse if you prefer to serve clean shells. We do not rinse these in advance because it encourages them to open.

In the heat of the summer our beloved Canadian oysters begin to loose their briny taste and plump texture. For this upcoming Independence Day we went All-American with salty oysters from Maine. You will most likely want to use the mignonette with each of these oysters and maybe throw a few on the grill this July 4th! We suggest topping with a bbq butter; just mix softened butter with your favorite bbq sauce, top onto your shucked oyster and grill for 7-8 minutes on low heat. Don’t forget some good crusty bread for the all the delicious butter sauce!

SALTY MAINER OYSTERS

Salty Mainer oysters are a medium oyster, cup full of meat, and a very bright brine. This strong brine will take you straight to the ocean. You will see that the shells are different in sizes and take more care in opening because they are wild grown in sand and mud.

• Specie: Crassostrea virginica

• Origin: Damariscotta River, Maine

• Water Temperature: average 53°

• Tides: Damariscotta River; tidal river with large 10-foot tides

• Wild: 4 years

• Average Size: 3-3.5 inches

• Available: April-December

FLAVOR PROFILE

Salty, buttery cream with a more clean, sweet finish.

Suggested Pairing: Ginger Beer, Moscow Mules or Cider

BRINE INTENSITY

Medium High

GROWOUT METHOD

Grown in floating cages until they reach about 2” and then bottom planted for the final grow-out giving them their hard, deep-cupped, easy to open, beautiful shell.

GROWER

Atlantic Aqua Farms provide product that has been raised, harvested and processed in an environmentally sustainable manner.

How to shuck an oyster? <—Click to watch this video!

May Oyster of the Month

Hi Shucker!

Oysters are arriving just in time for the Memorial Day holiday! For the month of May we are sampling the most northern oyster available from the east coast of Canada, Merasheen Bay from Newfoundland.

MERASHEEN BAY OYSTERS

Merasheen Bay oysters are a boutique cocktail oyster, cup full of meat, a burst of lingering salinity on the front with a mélange of seawood notes and slight minerality. Expect a long-lasting fresh ocean finish. They are noted for their strong shell, easy to find hinge and always clean ~ inside and out.

• Specie: Crassostrea virginica

• Origin: Rustico, Newfoundland, Canada

  • Nestled into a cold pristine bay on Merasheen Island, the Merasheen Bay oyster was born. It’s because of the frigid waters, Merasheen oysters take a bit more time to grow than a typical oyster lifecycle but the rewards are well worth the wait.

• Water Temperature: 2°-20°

• Tides: 6-8 feet high; currents come from Labrador Sea and the Arctic

• Farmed: 4 to 5 years

• Average Size: 2.5-3 inches

• Available: Year-round

FLAVOR PROFILE

Seaweed, salt and the crisp, clean sea.

Suggested Pairing: Sparkling Rose or Pilsner

BRINE INTENSITY

Medium

GROWOUT METHOD

The specific method is not disclosed. The Merasheen Bay oysters grow inside the rolling rocky banks of Merasheen Island. Seawalls of kelp and seaweed covered rocks in the bay with a history of fishing for cod and crab in the area.

GROWER

Owner/Operator, Juan Roberts, Iceberg Select Company

How to shuck an oyster? <—Click to watch this video!

February Oyster of the Month

Hi Shucker!

This month marks the beginning of the Aphrodite Oyster Club at-home oyster journey! This month we are sampling:

IRISH POINT OYSTERS

Irish Point Oysters are some of the cleanest, most consistent, and well-balanced oysters to come out of the Atlantic. Depending on the time of year, their shells can take on beautiful hues of green, a reflection of the algae-rich waters that feed and nurture these oysters.

• Specie: Crassostrea virginica

• Origin: Rustico, Prince Edward Island, Canada or known as PEI

• Farmed: 4 to 5 years

• Average Size: 2.75 inches

• Available: Year-round

FLAVOR PROFILE

A tender texture and sweet brine with a smooth mineral finish.

Suggested Pairing: Irish whiskey

BRINE INTENSITY

Medium

GROWOUT METHOD

Aquaculture surface grown in floating cages. The cages are sunk in the winter to avoid massive ice sheets.

GROWER

Raspberry Point Oyster Co began in the early 1990’s and produces some of North America’s most sought-after oysters. Raspberry Point’s leases are some of the most northern stocks of oysters on North America. Because of this, each oyster takes between 4 – 6 years to reach market size.

Learn More by taking Pangea Shellfish Course on Oysters or simply watch the video below:

How to shuck an oyster?

Aphrodite Oyster Club

We’ve talked about it & we’ve listened! At Aphrodite Oysters we love discovering and introducing new oysters to our clients. The Aphrodite Oyster Club will take you deeper into the world of oysters by featuring a different oyster each month. You may choose between 36 or 60 count boxes shipped to your door with Aphrodite Sauces and the Oyster of the Month QR Fact Sheet. Not yet a shucker? Don’t worry, we will have instructions or we can throw an oyster shucking party!

Together we will help #saveourseas by consuming and sharing our love for oysters with others, one shell at a time. Did you know, each oyster you consume had filtered 30-50 gallons of water a day for 2-6 years?! On average, that is 40gal. x 4years x 365days = 58,400 gallons of water! Now that’s an impressive muscle at work and it does not matter whether wild or farm-raised, you have a truly sustainable seafood product.

Roll your sleeves up and let’s get to SHUCKING!