Oysters, Good and Bad Ones?

[Sully]

I had some oysters today.

Once before I had an oysters with black spots on the inside. I didn't eat it. Thought it was suspicious.

Today, I had an 4 osyters, 1 was fresh and nice, 2 were diff and tasted like old pond water, the last one was ok but i saw the black spots.

It seems hit or miss sometimes.

Any insight?

Edit: The bad ones tasted almost like clams, like bitter or something. Well not bitter, but that one taste if you know what I mean.

[TylerDurden]

I only dislike raw oysters which are more than 5 days old, since sale. Otherwise I love the stuff.

[Sully]

I only dislike raw oysters which are more than 5 days old, since sale. Otherwise I love the stuff.

I see, but the lack spots etc. Maybe the oyster died?
A disease? Crack in the shell?


They are great fresh. Amazing taste. Large scallops too.
I hear some things are coated with a sodium preservative though.

[TylerDurden]

I think ALL raw shellfish should be left rawish and fresh.

[Iguana]

I once ordered oysters in a Florida restaurant. They were tasteless, like having been washed in soft-water. Very different than the oyster we have here in France.

If the oyster smells good, it's good. If it's dead, it quickly starts to stink. Black spots inside, I don't know. There can be some colored spots on the inside of the shell I think. I don't really care about it.

[Sully]

Black spots inside, I don't know. There can be some colored spots on the inside of the shell I think. I don't really care about it.

I will try to get a pic next time. I already threw the shells out.

But there are ones that have spots that look sespicious. These are the ones that taste off or different. So I don't eat them.

The good ones are.....good. 

[Ioanna]

I hear some things are coated with a sodium preservative though.

really?!?  so frustrating!!  are they labeled as such?

[michaelwh]

If it's fine to eat the meat of dead animals, and even high meat, why would it be bad to eat dead oysters?

[Sully]

really?!?  so frustrating!!  are they labeled as such?

I am not sure. If they are packed check the ingredients. If not, ask the butcher.

I think they do it to shrimp and scallops. Maybe clams and oysters too.

[Sully]

If it's fine to eat the meat of dead animals, and even high meat, why would it be bad to eat dead oysters?

I don't know.

The black spots and foul taste I experienced may be a different sign. Diseased or sickened oyster?
They are filter feeders and take in any toxins from their enviroment. Which explains why some are bad and some are good.

I am sure the good ones are fine aged or dead.

[goodsamaritan]

In the Philippines we have weekly bulletins regarding the monitoring of red tide:



http://www.myhealthblog.org/2010/11/08/shellfish-oysters-clams-mussels-safe-to-eat-when-and-where-is-it-clean/#more-3697

[goodsamaritan]

If it's fine to eat the meat of dead animals, and even high meat, why would it be bad to eat dead oysters?

They degenerate and their degenerated bodies are perceived as toxic.

[michaelwh]

They degenerate and their degenerated bodies are perceived as toxic.

But how is this degeneration different from the degeneration/decay of other meat?

I am not sure. If they are packed check the ingredients. If not, ask the butcher.

I think they do it to shrimp and scallops. Maybe clams and oysters too.

Scallops which have preservatives are called "wet", and preservative-free scallops are called "dry". I've seen this explicitly labelled at a fishmonger.
http://www.fishex.com/seafood/scallops/scallops-dry-vs-wet.html

If the clams and oysters are sold alive, then there's no way they have preservatives.

[Iguana]

As repeatedly stated elsewhere, toxicity depend on the dose and the dose that becomes toxic varies according to the person and her actual state. Personally I don't like dead oysters and shellfish (unless they just died a short time ago) but some people like them dead.

Yes, Sully, your bad oyster may have been polluted and you'd better avoid eating them.

By the way, the first time I ate oysters was somewhere in Baja California in 1989. There was still a lot of wild shellfish and fish there. Very good place to live in the wild, you can camp on a beach for several days till you have no more food and soft water, without seeing any human being. 

[Sully]

As repeatedly stated elsewhere, toxicity depend on the dose and By the way, the first time I ate oysters was somewhere in Baja California in 1989. There was still a lot of wild shellfish and fish there. Very good place to live in the wild, you can camp on a beach for several days till you have no more food and soft water, without seeing any human being. 

Sounds nice. Prob much different now though, because so much can happen in 20 years.

Hey btw. what about snails in rivers and ponds?

[bharminder]

So is it still quality to eat shellfish that have just died shortly ago and have no 'off' smell ? (clams)

Are clams that have small chips in them safe for consumption? They smell fresh so I don''t think if they died they have been dead for long.

[Sully]

So is it still quality to eat shellfish that have just died shortly ago and have no 'off' smell ? (clams)

Are clams that have small chips in them safe for consumption? They smell fresh so I don''t think if they died they have been dead for long.

I tried these small clams. I didn't like them. I prefer oysters. What kind of clams do you get?

[bharminder]

littleneck, or cherrystones(which are 2-3x as big as littlenecks)

i debate between buying bulk littlenecks and buying cherrystones individually. cherrystones are amazing, so big.

best would be bulk cherrystones

[Sully]

ahh i see, i tried the smaller ones, littleneck i think,

you prefer clams over oysters?

[PaganAngel]

In the Philippines we have weekly bulletins regarding the monitoring of red tide:



http://www.myhealthblog.org/2010/11/08/shellfish-oysters-clams-mussels-safe-to-eat-when-and-where-is-it-clean/#more-3697

Hey GS, i saw the news too yesterday.  Does red tide affect fish as well?  How can we tell if fish is really clean & safe to eat?  

I plan to go to Farmers Market this week with my maid, i have only a vague idea how to choose fresh seafood.... my maid comes from a fishing village in Iloilo & her uncle was a fisherman so i'm hoping she can help me choose good stuff   Do you have a particular stall ( or suki) there that you patronize?

I just had a salad buffet last night at Mandarin hotel,  ate about 20 oysters ( from Roxas City) and lots of raw tuna ( from Gen San) and raw salmon.  The salmon was frozen though... but it still tasted good    The mussels there looked a little pale & dry so i passed on those.  

 assured me that the oysters are fresh bec the shell is clammed shut & they need to open it with a knife.  Is this a reliable way to tell how good/fresh an oyster is?

[bharminder]

ahh i see, i tried the smaller ones, littleneck i think,

you prefer clams over oysters?

I used to prefer oysters, but then the prices doubled and it's not practical to get oysters as a staple. Though clams often have lots of grit that soaking doesn't seem to clear up, I enjoy the taste of them. I especially like the large clams over the littlenecks.

[raw]

Hey btw. what about snails in rivers and ponds?

Do you see them enough where you live? So far I don't see these creatures  in US, but back home I see lots of them on my grandma's pond.