Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Kachemak Bay Oysters!

We won a dozen oysters at the Sea to Ski Triathalon and I finally got around to redeeming the certificate.  We had a number of discussions in our house about how oysters are eaten (raw or cooked was the great debate), so it was going to be a grand experiment.

The source of oysters in Homer:  Kachemak Shellfish Growers Co-op
It started with picking up the oysters.  I'd seen this building on the spit but since we don't eat oysters or other shellfish I'd never paid attention to it before.  All those oyster farms I've seen in Halibut Cove and Jakalof Bay supply this co-op, and according to their website there are 14 oyster farms.  The dozen oysters we got would have been $17.  I asked the man at the desk how to eat them.  He said pry them open with a bread knife, dip them raw in lemon juice and eat.  He assured me I'd love them.  Hm.

Fresh oysters from Kachemak Bay
Denver was the only one in the family besides me willing to try the oysters, raw or otherwise.  Aurora didn't want to chance getting sick with the state track meet only days away, and she was a bit disappointed because she was the one who'd won these in the first place.  Douglas just wasn't going there.

Prying open the oysters
So we got out our butter knives, lemon juice and started prying!  I was not successful on my first two; Denver quickly established himself as the expert.  He also relished slurping the oysters out of the shells, and after 5 oysters, figured he'd had enough for one day and we'd save the rest for tomorrow.  He determined they were better without lemon juice.  I think I had one, and that was enough for me, and I liked them with lemon juice.  But it was indeed an educational experience, and since I live right next door to where oysters are grown, I really ought to know more about them than I did--which was nothing!  Experiential learning is the thing, so we came, we tried and.....we'll save oysters for Denver for his birthday!

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