Oysters - Is there a way to reduce the risk of getting sick?
Other than just not eating them, does anyone know of a way to reduce your chances of getting sick. I love these dang things but every time I have eaten more than a few of them raw... I get sick. I eat steamed mussels all the time with no problem... its just raw oysters.
Any ideas?
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13 Comments:
I would not eat them where you've been eating them. Or, if others you are with are always fine and you are always sick--perhaps you have some sort of intolerance.
I've never had bad luck-fortunately. The one time I saw a bad oyster it was OBVIOUSLY bad--smell, colour, everything was off.
If it doesn't smell like the sea, don't eat it. Best of luck.
BananaMonkey at 3:50PM on 08/11/09
i think the smell / taste would tip you off to a bad oyster. otherwise, maybe if you only eat raw oysters in nicer restaurants that would reduce the chance of getting bad ones?
maybe, if you're getting sick every time you eat more than a couple, you have an allergy to oysters. you could get tested for that and see -
kristin314 at 4:28PM on 08/11/09
Eat Pacific oysters.
My grandfather (may he rest in peace) spent his early years in Connecticut. One summer in the 1930's, he had some oysters and got very, very sick. Therefore, my father (and I) had been warned never to eat oysters. That changed, of course, when I tried them a few years back. We had some from Tomales Bay, CA at my brother's graduation party, and that finally changed his mind.
The warmer Atlantic waters during the summer months cause oysters to become milky, and make them more susceptible to bacteria.
The other posters' comments are not invalid, either. Just be careful.
missvenuz at 5:11PM on 08/11/09
BananaMonkey = 100% correct. They should smell like the ocean; nothing else. Unless --of course-- they're rockerfeller *mmmmmm*
If you're unsure; ask your fish-guy at the supermarket or the chef at the kitchen you're ordering from.
I remember hearing somewhre that oysters should be eaten only in months with "r's" in them—September, October, etc.
Can anyone substantiate this?
hungrychristel at 5:34PM on 08/11/09
I would cook them. And ask your fish monger where their source is.
Or as mentioned above, you may have an allergy.
Live oysters will close their shells when being handled.
One way we prep oysters and can tell if they are fresh is by placing them in a 450 oven for a few minutes. Dead oysters will remain closed.
CJ McD at 6:33PM on 08/11/09
I've heard the month with 'r' rule is an ok general temperature guideline but that actual oceanwater temps' at harvest are a much more reliable guide of biotoxisity. Then the issue of chemically polluted waters is another factor and the "ACCEPTABLE" levels of toxins for human consumption. There's alot of illegal harvesting done in contaminated waters. They are filter feeders so the source of oysters is important. Alot of shell fish are harvested at and around Sewage outfalls it's a disgusting version of Miracle Grow for shellfish. There is a large Sea Urchin in and around Ensenada Harbor that has grown with the demand from Sushi Bars and the Asian Market. The Harbor at Ensenada is one of the most polluted in the world both biologically and chemically , due largely to it being one of the busiest shipping ports in the world and all the industries that have set up production to avoid pollution regulations in other countries.
I can sympathise with anyone who has surrered seafood poisoning as I have eaten bad shrimp twice over the years due to poor handleing both times in foriegn countries.
butterfingers at 6:34PM on 08/11/09
i've harvested shrimp, oysters, crabs and just about anything that dwells in the gulf of mexico and the rivers and bayous of south louisiana, the "R" months go back to the days before refridgeration. if you become ill every time you eat them it ain't the oysters, it's your body.
olddad at 7:46PM on 08/11/09
olddad has it right...the body part... in my opinion....been eating raw oysters for many, many years....the oysters have come from a vast array of places....I've eaten them at home and out...never been sick....
derosa at 9:57PM on 08/11/09
Well... I guess I could try cooking them... Never had them that way. Anyone have any ideas on how to cook them? I am guessing... grilled with lemon, galic, parm, and hot sauce?
happyeats at 10:11PM on 08/11/09
I agree with olddad and derosa. sorry you cant enjoy the raw beauties!
On applying heat: keep them as simple as possible. you want to taste them. simple sautee with lemon and butter w/pasta; classically lightly battered & pan fried; broiled in shell with (like you said) a wee bit of parm & garlic and lemon, of course. Or use them in a chowder-esque dish.
play around with your wines and liquors here, too. (cooking with)
emilytaylor at 10:53PM on 08/11/09
10 friends and i went through 240 raw oysters the other nite... no one got sick and in fact, we were all very, very happy. it must be that you're allergic or had a couple of bad ones.
pooch at 9:23AM on 08/12/09
I have lived among the country's best oyster beds my whole life. I've been eating oysters since I was a toddler and shucking them since I was seven. Eating raw oysters is a most glamorous, romantic waste of delicious shellfish.
The art and romance of "eating" oysters is a case of the emperor wearing no clothes. A huge majority of people who "eat" them, simply swallow them - no chewing, no tasting. The courageous act of slurping down the slimy, gray blob seems to be the major attraction. And repeat customers are often posing as pretentious sophisticates, slathering them in lemon juice and cocktail sauce to mask the flavor.
I suggest cooking them. Whether you steamed them open, stew them or pan-fry them, you'll find that the flavor of the oyster become more complex and interesting than any raw oyster anyone ever ate. Pan-frying is my favorite - and my family always saves a few to eat cold at breakfast.
(And @butterfingers is right. The month with R rule is about the temperature of the waters they're harvested from - not about refrigeration. But this is for the casual harvester. The oyster and restaurant industries do a great job of providing safe oysters year-long.)
GregWA at 2:06PM on 08/12/09
the "r" month is a myth. it was less about temperature and more about the months oysters spawn.
shellfish allergies can start with one specific shellfish, while you are able to eat others. you might want to get tested to be on the safe side, because the more you "aggravate" an allergy by continuing to eat what you're allergic to, the worse it will become. especially a shellfish allergy, you won't be able to eat any of them!!!!
in hawaii, we'd throw the oysters on the grill 'til they popped open and then throw a little tabasco on them. yum.
dmarina at 2:25AM on 08/15/09