OYSTER
HANDLING
For longest
shelf life, live oysters should be stored in a cold (35 to 38
degrees F) dark place and not disturbed. They should be drained of
any standing water on arrival by making holes in the bottom of the
box, or alternatively, transferred to another similar type of
storage container. Then a damp towel should be placed on top of the
oysters to keep them moist. Never let them sit in
water.
Only take
out the amount of oysters needed for service. Oysters do not like
going from cold to warm and then cold again. Always try to
maintain a cold serving temperature for oysters.
Use the
oysters that are left over from service the night before first and
do not mix with new inventory.
They are
live animals until they are served and must be kept cold during
storage, preparation, and service. Serve on crushed ice or a
mixture of dry ice and water.
Properly stored,
oysters have a shelf life of about 10 days from harvest with
minimum mortality. Utilizing these techniques it is not
uncommon to get even more, sometimes exceeding two weeks.
|