What makes a jumbo oyster?

Jumbo oysters

Jumbos. They remind us a bit of ourselves: a little weird looking, rough around the edges, but still quality on the inside. It’s why we love them. But they are no less worthy than you or I, or our favorite “regular” 3-inch Island Creek. They are strong, bold, and full of a bounty of nutrients. The ocean rocks them about for a few years longer than most, working out their kinks and sometimes they come back around and have their moment.

WHAT MAKES AN OYSTER A JUMBO?

The name simply comes from the size. They often fit the size of your hand or could hide most of your face. Of the millions of oysters that we sell, most Island Creeks are a standard deviation from 3 inches. Jumbos are probably 3 standard deviations. In other words, pretty big. The typical life expectancy of an oyster is 2 to 3 years. These guys are 4 or 5 years old, sometimes older.

HOW DID THEY GET THAT WAY?

Fate. Sometimes an oyster sits on the grant and by sheer random probability, it was never picked up to be culled (culled = chosen by size / quality to go to market) in the first place.

The main reason: Farmer’s choice. It’s not an oyster machine here on the farm, it’s humans doing the culling. And sometimes compared to the rest of the crop, that oyster simply got passed on again and again. They were consistently “returned to grant” (these oysters are also known as the RTGs around here) when being culled.

Why?

    –  Too flat

    –  Too skinny / long

    –  Back bent

    –  Chipped

    –  Has boring sponge (not a mundane sponge – a type of sponge that bores holes into a shell)

    –  Human error

These oysters can be returned to the water 5 or 6 times before ending up in what we call the land of misfit oysters: this is an area to the east of the rack and bag nursery away from where the “sellable” oysters reside. As such, they sit and continue to feed and filter the water only getting larger with time.

WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?

It’s true that it sounds like they are misfits for a reason. But it’s mostly vanity. Oysters that get to this size are an extreme rarity. They are aged, refined, and typically hard to find. They taste just as delicious as a regular Island Creek, they just happen to pack a lot more meat – and wisdom.

HOW TO EAT THEM?

They end up on our grills, fires, and in our ovens to be baked into pretty delectable mouthfuls. Add butter and some Sweet Reaper hot sauce, or fry them up to make an extra-large crispy oyster slider. The delicious opportunities are endless.

Curious? Order 20 Island Creek Jumbos + Sweet Reaper Hot Sauce to have at home.