The “R”-gument Against Oysters
Traditionally, May through August have been oyster-less months food-wise for most Americans. Popular folklore holds that oysters shouldn’t be eaten during any month not containing the letter ‘R’, which cancels out the entire summer – save the last few days of early September. But how much of that myth holds true?
If you have a refrigerator, none.
The Cold Truth
The “oyster myth” first developed in the 1700s, if not earlier. In 1762, New Haven, Connecticut banned oyster harvesting in any month without the letter ‘r’. According to Saveur, an online food magazine, many other cities followed suit. And Americans learned not to enjoy oysters during the warm, balmy months of summer. But the reason behind this habit wasn’t entirely human health. It was, in fact, twofold.
The first reason was that refrigeration wasn’t enough in the 18th century, that oysters could be shipped from their harvesting location to elsewhere in the States without rotting and thus sickening the consumer.
The second was that the summer months are when oysters – particularly those found along the American coasts – repopulate themselves.
There are two main types of oysters: European and Olympia oysters (which are found along the American Pacific Coast) and the American bluepoint oyster, found along the United States’ Atlantic Coast. While the European/Olympia oysters are hermaphrodites containing both sperm and eggs, and the bluepoint oysters have separate sexes, both were thought to go through their reproductive cycles during the summer. Banning the harvesting and thus eating of oysters during this time allowed the oyster population to remain plentiful. It was, in short, a conservation technique only the 1700s could employ.
The question is, is it necessary today?
Shucking the Myth
In the twentieth century, neither the caution against warm temperatures nor the conservation effort is technically necessary.
With modern refrigeration, oysters can be eaten at any time during the year. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that oysters be stored at 40 degrees Fahrenheit before being eaten or cooked from the moment they are harvested. Any warmer and the risk of food poisoning increases significantly.
As far as reproduction, most oysters consumed today are harvested on farms. The reproduction cycle is dictated by the farmer — thus making the summer months a less vital time of year. Additionally, it is now known that American bluepoint oysters do not brood their young in the summer months, as the European oysters do. Therefore, staying away from oysters at that time will have no effect on the population.
However that doesn’t mean you want to completely ignore the ‘r’ rule.
Reaping the Best Harvest
The first reason you may want to stick with it is taste. Oysters are at their peak succulence during the fall. They are storing energy for the winter months and become more plump and juicy at that time. During the summer (May through August) there is no need for the extra energy. They are a little more bland and a little more watery as a result. So if you’re looking for the best oyster experience for your mouth, you’ll wait until the dog days of summer have rolled into the crisp weeks of autumn.
Additionally, there are some legitimate concerns about bacteria. In California, for example, the harvesting of mussels (not oysters) is banned between May 1 and October 31 because of a fear of illness. However, approximately 40 percent of shellfish-related ailments occur during the ‘r’ months, and the paralytic shellfish poison sometimes found in mollusks along the Pacific Coast is more common between September and May rather than May and September.
The key to oyster consumption at any time of the year, then, is caution. Know what you’re eating and know where it came from. You want oysters – wild or farmed – from reputable locations. Be aware that because of the health of the ocean, wild oysters may not be as safe as farmed oysters. However, once you buy farmed products, there is as always the concern that what you are purchasing has been modified in some way – be it genetically or otherwise. For this reason, you need to be cautious with the farms you purchase from. There are organic oyster farms; they may be – depending on their farming practices – your best bet. Get all of the information first.
If your concern is conservation – as it should be – make sure you are staying within the realms of the law. Environmental groups have worked to have laws enacted that protect the oyster population. This, however, has not stopped individuals from illegally harvesting. Illegal harvesting depletes the population, making a supply of fresh oysters less and less plausible as time passes.
Oyster consumption has been caught up in a web of myth and confusion. The best way to eliminate both is to forget things like the ‘r’ rule and deal with cold, hard facts: oysters can be eaten in any month. You simply have to consider how good you want them to taste and how eating them is affecting the shellfish supply in the future.
Oyster picture courtesy of Swamibu:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/swamibu/1854640742/
