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How Does Your Oyster Grow?
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How does your oyster grow?
Have you ever wondered how the same species of oyster, Pacific for example, can have such varied flavors or textures? Like different wines with a terrior, oysters have a merrior – growing area and method make all the difference!
Not all beaches are created equal – some are muddy, some sandy and some rocky. Each type of growing ground has opportunities and limitations for success. Oysters grown on top of muddy ground often sink into the mud suffocating them for they aren’t able to circulate water and food into their bodies.
Muddy bays have led to culture techniques that suspend the oysters above the mud such as long lines, stakes, suspended nets, and racks and bags. Firm sandy and rocky bays allow for oysters to be grown on the bottom as well as using the off bottom techniques described for muddy areas. In addition to substrate type, location of the oysters on the beach will determine how long the oyster will take to achieve a marketable size. Oysters grown in the intertidal area are exposed to daily tidal inundation will have well developed adductor muscles and thicker shells thus being heartier for shipment.
Oysters suspended in the water column for growing will have the benefit of a constant food source and thus grow quickly but will have delicate shells and be susceptible to the elements. Often times suspended oysters are placed in the high energy inter-tidal environment for a few weeks prior to market to harden the shells for shipment and condition the oysters to hold their shells shut.
The method of growth can greatly change the shape of the oyster. A Pacific allowed to grow naturally on the beach will have a sturdy irregular shell with a great deal of frills. The regular exposure at low tide strengthens the shell protects the meat from heat and predators like sea stars and crabs. In Europe, where there is very limited tidal change, some farmers manually pull the oysters from the water for periods of time to mimic the tidal action.
The tumble bag creates an altered but very marketable shape for cultured oysters. Oysters are placed in the bag as small seed and the tide does the rest. The tidal flip and roll chip off the fragile lips and force the oyster to curve. The result is a deep cup in its lower shell.
Each bay has its own selection of phytoplankton yielding oysters with different meat colors and flavors.
Pacific oysters grown in Willapa Bay have a different “merrior” from those grown in Samish Bay. Hood Canal oysters are claimed to be more briny than the sweeter cucumber flavored bivalves grown in Hammersley Inlet or South Puget Sound waterways. Just like the well attuned vintners of the Rhone Valley, oyster connoisseurs are able to detect the subtleties of each bay by tasting the meat and observing the shell.
