How Long Do Oysters Last? Consume live oysters within two days of buying them for the freshest result. Live, in-shell oysters have a shelf life of up to seven days under proper storage conditions in your fridge. Shucked oysters will keep for a maximum of five days.
Once opened, oysters will keep for up to 7 days in the fridge, but be aware: they will absorb any strong flavours (for example rock melon and onion tend to taint the flavour, no matter how well packed your oysters are). When buying live oysters, make sure the shells are firmly closed.
Kept at a proper temperature and prevented from drying out, an oyster can live in your fridge for up to a month, or even a little longerHowever, understand that the longer your oysters are out of the water, the more likely you are to lose a few. Always check to make sure the oysters are closed before you eat them.
We generally tell customers oysters stay fresh up to 14 days, but our results showed the period of freshness may actually be longer. We like to err on the side of caution, so 14 days from harvest is probably a good rule of thumb to follow.
If there are large cracks or broken or damaged areas, throw the oyster away. There should be no gaps within the shell. If the shell is also open, the oyster is bad. Oyster shells are glossy white in color with pink and gray streaks, if yours looks greenish or brown, you should discard the oyster.
Cover the oysters with a damp paper towel or damp cloth and place them in the fridge. They should keep for up to seven days like this, but it's best to eat them within a day or two.
Shelf Life
Shucked oysters will have a good-through date. If they go past this date, you'll want to discard them. Shucked oysters typically have a 10-14 day refrigerated shelf life upon receipt.
The best way to store them is in their bag, inside a bowl with a damp cloth over the top. But please: Do not store the oysters directly on or underneath ice. Oysters will die if they sit in fresh water. You can keep them on a tray of ice for an hour or so but avoid letting them sit in a puddle of fresh water.
If properly cared for oysters can live out of the water in their shell for around 4 - 5 days.
Store oysters in a fridge at no lower than 4°C, cupped side down on a tray or plate and covered with a clean damp cloth. Eat within two days of receipt.
At some point before shucking, you will need to give the oysters a scrub-down to remove any dirt, mud, sand, shell fragments, or other crud that you don't want to end up slurping down. I like to get that cleaning step out of the way as soon as I get the oysters home.
It's vital to clean your oysters well before shucking. Use a stiff-bristled brush to remove sand, dirt, and debris. You can also put your oysters into a cold icy saltwater bath to soak for an hour in order to purge them of sand and grit.
Rule of thumb is at least 4,000 years old. Foodie tradition dictates only eating wild oysters in months with the letter “r” – from September to April – to avoid watery shellfish, or worse, a nasty bout of food poisoning. Now, a new study suggests people have been following this practice for at least 4,000 years.
When you bring raw oysters home, store them in their shell, large shell-side down, in the refrigerator (no lower than 33 F) for up to five days (although the flavor is best when they are consumed within 24 hours of purchase). They should be packed in either a mesh bag or in an open container covered with a damp cloth.
Oysters that are still in the shells should only be frozen live. A live oyster will keep its shell tightly closed or will close it when tapped. If you have plenty of freezer space and want to freeze the oysters in the shells, simply wash the shells thoroughly and place in moisture-vapor resistant bags.
Don't store oysters in an air-tight container because lack of oxygen can kill them. Remember, they are living creatures until they are shucked! To clean, place oysters in a colander in a sink and rinse under cold running water. If you can, cover them with crushed ice while shaking them under the running water.
Typically, a jar will last for about a week after opening if properly refrigerated. Just like milk, you can “smell test” a jar to see if the oysters are still good.
Never store oysters covered in either fresh or salt water.
They freeze beautifully. You can freeze the oysters directly in the jar or bag they arrived in or you can transfer them to a ziplock freezer bag. Try to use within 3 months. Some of our favorite recipes for shucked oysters include fried, oyster casserole, or in an oyster roll.
Put the mesh bag with oysters in a plastic bag. Close the plastic bag airtight*. Store the plastic bag with the oysters in the refrigerator until you are ready to enjoy the oysters. *Oysters hibernate while in the fridge, so they don't breath.
Proper storage is critical to control the growth of these harmful bacteria. Containers of shucked oysters should be stored at 32 - 38 °F, ideally packed in ice. Temperatures that low may kill a live oyster, so unshucked oysters should be stored at 40 - 45 °F.
While you're chugging water, call your doctor or local medical clinic, or take a stroll to the hospital. You'll probably be fine in two or three days, but since some forms of seafood-borne food poisoning can be extremely serious, it's important to get professionals involved as the illness may require more medical care.
The shell is joined at one end by a hinge, and can be closed by the oyster's powerful adductor muscle (the dark spots on the inside of an empty shell are the points to which the ends of this muscle adhered).
In the case of oysters, this little mollusk contains so much zinc that it should only be eaten occasionally. Eating them once or twice a week should land you in a nutritional sweet spot.