How to Shuck Oysters

If you love eating oysters and want to learn how to shuck oysters at home, don't let the stories put you off. Although shucking oysters requires some effort, it takes less muscle than it does skill. With a little knowledge about oyster anatomy, a good knife and some way to protect your hands from slips or the oyster shell itself, you'll quickly take fresh oysters from shelled to shucked like a pro.

Buying Live Oysters
When you're buying live oysters, you want to make sure that you're buying fresh oysters. Fresh oysters should smell clean and briny, like the sea. Any other odors are an indication that the oysters are beginning to or have spoiled.

If your local fishmonger hasn't arranged the oysters so that they're lying flat for display, ask him or her to pull a selection so you can see the size and shape of the shells, which will help you gauge how much meat the oysters will yield. The deeper the lower shell, the larger the oyster itself.

Look for oysters with tightly closed shells. Healthy, live oysters don't readily make themselves vulnerable to predators. If you see oysters with partially opened shells, tap them. If the shells snap shut immediately, the oyster is okay. If not, the oyster has either died or is the process of dying. If you're buying oysters in bulk, ask the fishmonger if you can pop an oyster or two open to check the liquor for freshness.

Storing Oysters
Like other live shellfish, you want to keep your oysters cold but out of water. Store them in the refrigerator at an optimal temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Position them deep side down in a large, open container to make sure they hold their liquor. Cover with damp paper towels or newspaper.

If you'll be eating or cooking your oysters the same day, you can also store them in packed ice, inside a cooler. Be sure to check the ice regularly for melting-if oysters are immersed in water, they'll deplete the stores of oxygen and die.

Shucking Oysters
Before you get started, take a few minutes to set up an oyster shucking station in your kitchen or backyard patio. Gather together your oysters, two large open containers and a bucket of water for rinsing (if indoors, you can use your sink). You'll also want to wear cotton work gloves or have thick hand towels nearby and, of course, your shucking knife.

Plan to shuck your oysters close to serving time and no longer than two hours in advance. Colder oysters are easier to shuck and also retain their flavor and texture better than warm oysters. If you won't be eating your oysters raw, you might consider steaming them for a few minutes to loosen the joint and make it slightly easier to pop the shells open.

First, check each oyster to make sure it's still alive by examining how tightly the shells are closed. Then, wash the oysters to remove sand, grit and grime. Using a stiff bristle brush, give each oyster a scrub before rinsing under cold, running water. The back of the oyster is where the shell's hinge is. The front is rounded. You can distinguish the top and bottom shells by shape. Top shells are flatter than bottom shells.

Oyster shells are made up of sharp ridges that make them difficult to hold and easily cut unprotected hands. Before you pick up your knife, put on your gloves (or use a thick towel to hold the oyster). Hold the oyster in one hand and your shucking knife in the other. Position the oyster so the flat, top shell faces up. Try to keep the oyster level in your hand or you'll risk spilling its liquor.

Next, take the tip of your shucking knife and slip it between the top and bottom shells at the back, near the shell's hinge. You can either run your knife around the rim of oyster or, when you reach the front of the oyster, attempt to pop the shell open with gentle, but firm pressure.

Once you've got the shell open, cut or remove the top shell from the bottom, then cut the muscle attaching the oyster to both shells. Drain the liquor into one container, drop the shallow (top) shell into the trash and place the bottom shell, which you'll serve the oysters on, into your other container.

If you're using a standard kitchen knife instead of a shucking knife, be careful: placing oysters on the table and stabbing in a downward motion most often results in injury.