Island Creek Oysters

Island Creek Oyster Flavor Profile Characteristics

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Island Creek Oysters are cultivated using a floating rack and bag system with upwellers and are finished by beach cultivation on the sand & mud beach.  During the rack & bag stage, Island Creeks are washed and shaken twice weekly.  The shaking process helps to chip off new shell growth, which encourages deeper cup definition and stronger shells.  The oysters remain in the rack and tray system for six months, and are then hand planted on the bottom of Duxbury Bay for the remainder of their growth.  The youngest Island Creek oysters are harvested after 18 months.

Duxbury Bay routinely experiences 10-foot tides, and the oysters are strategically placed on the flats to spend time out of the water at dead low tide.  This gives them firm meats and increases their shelf life because they learn to close their shells tightly.  Harvesting is all done by hand.

Island Creek Oyster harvest sizes are available as follows: petite oyster is from 2-2.5″, regulars are 3″, and larges are 4″.  Island Creek Oysters have a wonderful butter & brine flavor with meats which are delightfully firm and have a clean taste, unmistakable sweetness and a mossy finish.  Island Creek Oysters are available year around.

Island Creek Oysters are Available Year Around

Oysters spawn when the water reaches about 75 degrees F.  The water in Duxbury Bay, due to unusual currents, huge tides, and prevailing winds never exceeds 65 degrees F, thus, they never spawn.  Island Creek Oyster farm raises oysters from new seed each year.  Further, because of a very specific set of bottom conditions, they plant their oysters directly on the sea floor, as opposed to the far more common methods employing racks, trays, and/or bags.  This means they don’t have to worry about winter ice ruining their equipment–the major obstacle to most oyster farms in this area is being able to harvest in the dead of winter.

There are a number of oysters available from different farms in Duxbury Bay.  All Island Creek Oysters are Duxbury Oysters; however, not all Duxbury oysters are Island Creeks.  Island Creek Oyster farms have the highest standards for quality due to the caliber of the restaurants that they sell to, therefore, there are a few growers in Duxbury that they do not buy from.

Island Creek Oysters in the News

Island Creek Oysters have an excellent reputation and have been served in such high-end restaurants as Charlie Trotter’s, Per Se, The French Laundry, Le Bernardin, and at the White House.

See proper shellfish storage methods for the best way to maintain the shelf life and flavor of your oysters.

See our list of Where to buy Raw Oysters.

Visit the Island Creek Oyster website.

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