How to shuck oysters at home

How to

Oysters are one of the most delicious and nutritious foods on the planet. They’re also straightforward to shuck yourself. Oyster shucking is a fun, easy process and a great way to spend time with family and friends. The unshucked oyters in the shell also keep the freshness and free from debris. If you’re planning on making a meal out of them, it’s best to shuck them yourself so you can keep the entire shell to display the oyster like oyster connoisseurs. If you’re just looking for a snack or appetizer though, you can always order them pre-shucked. The process of opening an oyster is actually called shucking. In fact, anyone can do it, all you need is an oyster knife, some fresh oysters, and a little know-how! So relax, grab a shucker’s glove or two and let’s get started!

Oyster knife or kitchen knife?

Professional oyster shuckers normally use an oyster knife to shuck oysters at the oyster farm or seafood store. Shucking oysters requires some strength, but an oyster knife makes the process much easier by allowing you to cut through both sides of an oyster shell at once without having to use a knife or mallet (which would probably end up breaking!).

What about if you don’t own an oyster knife? If there is one tool every home chef should own, it’s probably their own kitchen knife. However, try to avoid using a sharp knife as it will break the oyster meat easily. Instead, there is another tool that most of our homes has one! A flathead screwdriver is a perfect replacement for an oyster knife. If you have multiple flatheads around your home, choose the shortest one for the safest grip.

Now, you can use either an oyster knife or flathead screwdriver to follow below steps.

5 Steps to shuck oysters:

First, roughly clean the oyster shells. Then, use a knife and wedge it from the top of the oyster shell to find the hinge; this is the spot where the oyster shell opens up, allowing you to get at the meat inside. Don’t be afraid of cutting into your fingers as long as you angle your knife correctly.
Stick your knife into the middle of the shell and feel around until you notice that it’s loose enough for you to move it around freely (usually just an inch or two away from where you initially inserted your blade).
Once the knife is in place, pry open each side of the shell by working your way up from underneath. If you’re using a flathead screwdriver, be sure not to pry too hard, or else you may end up breaking one side of what remains of this poor creature’s body before moving on to its other half.
Next, use your other hand on top of yours (but below where it was wedged) so as not to cut yourself any further if anything slips around.
Once you’ve done this for both sides of your shell, discard its top half. Then rinse off any dirt left behind by running a stream of water over the top side of opened oyster before eating!

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A little fact about Oysters

Oysters are a delicacy that has been enjoyed for centuries, but they’re also full of nutritious.

A single serving of oysters provides about 10 grams of protein, which is more than what one chicken breast or burger patty would provide.
Oysters are also packed with vitamins and minerals like zinc, iron, selenium, and copper—all things our bodies need for good health!
Oysters are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids (EPA/DHA), which are vital nutrients that help keep us healthy by lowering risk factors associated with heart disease and high blood pressure.*

Anyone can be an oyster shucker

Anyone can be an oyster shucker. If you have hesitation about shucking an oyster, don’t worry, it’s actually really SIMPLE and FUN once you learn how! All it takes is the right equipment and a little know-how, so why not take this opportunity to show off your home skills and add some variety to your meals to give your families and friends something new to enjoy at home?

Still feeling puzzled about it?

I hope this article helps you understand how to shuck an oyster. It may take some practice, but with these tips, you’ll be shucking oysters like a pro in no time! If you still feel puzzled about it, you can buy the ready-shucked oysters from our oyster bar at your convenience. The oyster shuckers at Maguro Bar can quickly shuck an oyster in 5 seconds in front of you. You can preorder the oysters on our online store and request it to be shucked or unshucked.