Every Wednesday, the team at Penn Cove Shellfish evaluates each of their oysters to review the characteristics, flavor profiles, and spawn conditions of the different oysters they carry. Many customers use the evaluation sheet to choose which oyster they’d like to order for the week.
Almost every day they bring in oysters from the oyster farms of Washington, Oregon, California, and British Columbia and also from the east coast of the US for the summer months. They then “west store” the bags of oysters in Penn Cove or in their certified 3,000-gallon wet storage facility onshore, thereby allowing them to always keep the oysters in the best of conditions in the cold water. Wet storing the oysters preserves “Kissed by a Mermaid” freshness!
Fresh from the water instead of fresh out of the cooler makes all the difference for oysters meant to be served raw on the half shell. Water spilling from the shell and the fresh sea aroma as the oyster is shucked is a sure sign of freshness; it’s something you should expect!
