Can you freeze oysters? Does it work and if so, what’s the correct method? If those are the questions that bother you, read on.
You may know of oysters being an aphrodisiac and one of the healthiest sources of protein to eat consisting of essential nutrients of vitamins A and B12, zinc, iron, calcium, and selenium.
What you might not know, is you can actually freeze them to help preserve their freshness. This is handy if you are an oyster lover and love eating them often because freezing allows you to purchase oysters in bulk from a fish market when they are on sale so you have the ability to enjoy them whenever you desire to have some for a satisfying meal.
Freezing will change the texture and flavor of the oysters. Oysters will have a slightly fishy flavor, a slightly changed color and the texture of them can be a bit mushy making them better for creating delicious stews, casserole dishes, soups or chowders.
Trying to steam the oysters in a broth and serving them up that way might not be as appetizing as freshly steamed oysters. You should never consume defrosted raw oyster since the bacteria in them can cause illness. The only time it is ever safe to eat a raw oyster is when it is alive and freshly harvested.
Now let’s move on to the guide on how can you freeze oysters below:
How to Freeze Oysters?
If you have purchased or harvested a large portion of oysters for freezing, it is important you go through each one and make sure they are alive. Dead oysters are dangerous to eat due to the harmful bacteria they contain.
You can tell the difference between live oysters, and dead kinds. Alive oysters will remain tightly closed and dead ones will have their shells wide open. Once you have gone through all the oysters and picked out all the dead ones, it is important to wash the healthy oysters in cool water to remove any debris and bacteria.
Then, you can place them into a sealable bag with vegetable broth or cool water and freeze them in the freezer until you are ready to use them. Oysters should only remain frozen for up to 3-months this way. After that, they should be tossed out to prevent possible food poisoning. If you notice, any frostbite on the oysters when you do go to use them it is best to discard them as well.
How to Defrost Frozen Oysters?
The proper way to defrost oysters is to take them straight from the freeze into a steamer or pot of boiling broth to be cooked straight away. Never leave frozen oysters to defrost in the refrigerator, sink or countertop because bacteria will grow on them and no longer be good to eat.
Summary
Freezing oysters can help prevent wasting of food, but remember that frozen oysters are only good for stews, casserole dishes and soups due to the mushy texture they will have.
If you desire to have fresh tasting oysters full of true oyster flavor with a pleasant texture and smell it is best to go to a seafood restaurant or fish market, get them fresh and eat them right away instead of trying to store them.
Still, it is great to know that you can freeze oysters for later use. Now that you know how can you freeze oysters, don’t be afraid to store your leftovers in the freezer. This is a fantastic method of preserving your favorite seafood.