How to Store Oysters

Live oysters, in the shell

Store at 1–4 °C, cup-side down so the oyster sits in its own liquor. Cover with a damp cloth or damp newspaper. Leave the container open or loosely covered — oysters respire and a sealed bag kills them.

Never store in fresh water and never in standing meltwater. Fresh water kills oysters within hours. If you store on ice, use a rack or perforated tray so meltwater drains away.

Well-handled live oysters keep about 5 to 7 days from harvest for cupped species, and rather less — 3 to 5 days — for European flats, which hold their shells less tightly and dry out faster. Quality declines the whole time; the best day is the first.

Telling a live oyster from a dead one

A live oyster is shut, or closes when tapped firmly. One that gapes and stays open is dead — discard it. A shell that feels unusually light is empty; one that is unusually heavy may be full of mud.

After shucking: plump, glossy meat in clear liquor, smelling of clean sea. Shrunken, opaque, or dry meat, cloudy liquor, or any sour or ammoniac smell means discard.

Shucked and frozen

Shucked oysters in their liquor keep 2 to 3 days refrigerated in a sealed container and should be cooked, not eaten raw, after the first day.

You can freeze oysters, and you should not expect to eat them raw afterwards. Freezing ruptures the cell structure, so a thawed oyster is soft and watery — fine for stews, chowders, po'boys, and grilling, poor on the half shell. Freeze either shucked in their own liquor or whole in the shell, for up to about three months, and thaw in the fridge, never at room temperature.

Transport

For a journey of a few hours, a cooler with a gel pack and a damp cloth over the oysters, not touching ice directly. For an overnight delivery, the shipper's job is to have them arrive cold to the touch — if a box arrives at room temperature, refuse it or report it rather than risking it.

Common questions