Some people insert the knife into the hinge at the pointy end of the oyster and twist it back and forth until they crack the oyster open, but we generally find the following method to be easier with our Choptank Sweets because they tend to have more meat with a thinner shell.

1

Hold the oyster with a towel or wear gloves to protect your hands. Oysters have sharp edges - and it is very easy to slip and jab yourself while trying to insert your shucking knife.

Oysters have a natural top and bottom. Hold the oyster with the top, flat, side up and the bottom, rounded, side down.

2

Place the tip of your knife a few millimeters from the rim of the shell opposite the hinge. Apply pressure and wriggle it back and forth until your knife breaks into the top shell. (You could also cut or break the rim of the shell off with pliers or scissors leaving a gap between the shells where you can insert your knife.) Insert your knife underneath the top shell and sever the muscle that holds the two shell halves together.

3

The oyster should then open up easily and you can slide your knife underneath the oyster meat to free it from the bottom half of the shell.

If the oyster is damaged by the shucking process you can now flip the meat over for final presentation.

Oysters are a great source of Protein, Vitamin C, Thiamin, Niacin, Magnesium, and Phosphorus. They are also a good source of Vitamin B12, Iron, Zinc, Copper, Manganese, and Selenium. Farmed oysters are lower in cholesterol and saturated fat than wild caught oysters.

Our oysters are a completely natural food source that is not only good for you, they are good for the environment!