I love oysters…
Broiled, fried, steamed, made into oyster stew or oyster muffins… you name it.
Any way other than raw. However, many people consider raw oysters to be a delicacy.
I’ve always avoided them mainly because of the health risks. Anyone can get sick from eating a raw oyster. (it’s called Vibrio vulnificus illness). It’s worse for people with compromised immune systems, diabetes, liver problems, etc.
However, I just learned that the folks harvesting Gulf oysters have teamed up to create a way for everyone to enjoy raw oysters…. safely.
Making oysters safer is a 3-part post-harvest process involving individually quick-freezing them. I’ve had IQF meat (chicken is coming that way more and more) and I must say that it’s a far superior process to tossing everything in one package and freezing it! Not only is IQF tastier, it’s easy to get just as much as you want out of the freezer and leave the rest. The oysters are also heat-cool pasteurized. Yup, pasteurized. Sort of like milk. They’re immersed in 127 degree water and then in 40 degree water. They’re also treated in a high hydrostatic pressure environment.
All of this apparently removes bacteria and makes the oysters safer to eat - safe enough, it seems, for people who’ve always been warned not to eat them.
Has this post made you hungry? Check out the oyster recipes!