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Island Creek Oysters

The White House.  French Laundry.  Augusta National.  What do all three have in common?  If you guessed that Island Creek oysters (Crassotrea virginica) are house favorites of all three, then you are 100% correct!  Our Island Creek oysters are raised in Duxbury (or as my friend Skinny likes to call the seaside town: Deluxe-bury), Massachusetts (N 42.04/W 70.67).  More specifically, the Island Creeks are grown in western Duxbury Bay, which is directly fed by Cape Cod Bay.  As with so many of our oysters, there is a great story behind the Island Creeks.  The spat is sourced from Muscongus Bay, Maine, and upon arrival in Duxbury, 1,000,000 pieces tip the scales at roughly five pounds.  When the Island Creek oysters are harvested (just about 18 months later) they will have a combined weight of a whopping 200,000 pounds.  The tiny oysters are started in a system of upwellers (10 of them) which are located around the Duxbury Bay.  The oysters spend about four weeks in the upwellers, and on a warm day towards the end of June or in early July, they will actually double in size.  After the oysters reach roughly an inch in length, they are transferred to a three-tiered rack and tray system which is moored to the floor of Duxbury Bay.  During this stage of the grow-out, the Island Creeks are washed and shaken twice weekly.  The washing is pretty self-explanatory, the shaking process helps to chip off new shell growth, thereby encouraging pronounced cup definition.  The oysters remain in the rack and tray system for six to eight weeks, and are then hand planted on the mud/sand bottom of Duxbury Bay for their last year of grow-out and finishing.  Harvest is all done by hand, and oysters are available by the 100 count 12 months a year.  Cup depth and shell strength is excellent in the Island Creek oysters.  Each choice oyster is three to four inches in length, and possesses a medium salinity with an unmistakable sweetness and a hint of seaweed.  Prime season for this particular variety of oyster is November through April.  Shuck one of the Island Creeks when in peak season, and you will wonder how the meats are contained in the shell.  No joke.  Duxbury Bay routinely experiences 10-foot tides, and the oysters have been strategically placed on the flats to spend time at and around dead low tide completely out of the water.  Huh?  That’s right.  What this does is strengthen the adductor muscle (which holds the two halves of the shell together), and conditions the oysters to close when removed from the water.  See why this will be to your benefit?  The oysters lock up tight as a drum, holding in all their precious liquor, thereby extending their life expectancy.  Another benefit of this shallow water grow-out is that the oysters are forced to thicken their shells in order to diffuse and or block out the powerful rays of the sun.  Oysters that are finished a great depths aren’t required to develop such defenses, and as such haven’t developed the survival mechanisms inherent in the Island Creeks.  This thickening and hardening of the shells makes the Island Creeks a dream to shuck, and lends the oysters an aesthetic/presentation value that be appreciated by both your clients and theirs alike.  Photos to follow.
One more thing…It has come to my attention that there may be more than one correct answer to the leading question from the preceding paragraph…Technically, full credit should also be awarded to all who answered, “What are three places where I have worn out my welcome”.

Please email info@jpshellfish.com or call 207-439-6018 for more information on this and or any other J.P.'s Shellfish product or service.