# Quick oyster question **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 17, 2013, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-oyster-question/666499 "2013-08-17T17:09:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2013, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-oyster-question/666499/1 "2013-08-17T17:09:05Z")
No, not a question about quick oysters; a quick question about them. [I’m making charbroiled oysters today](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=699607). I bought a dozen very large oysters (6" or longer shells) yesterday and brought them home. Since there was not enough room in the fridge, I put them in a cooler and covered them with ice ‘cubes’. (Not actually cubes, but the curved shape that comes out of the ice maker.) I was concerned that the ice would melt, submerging the oysters in fresh water. I thought that might be bad. So I opened the cooler just now, to find only a minimal amount of meltwater. The interior stayed cold enough to prevent much melting. I repositioned the oysters to on top of the ice. So now I’m concerned I may have frozen the shellfish. I won’t know until I shuck them, I guess. Have I damaged or killed my oysters? I assume they’ll be safe to eat, since shucked oysters are sold in jars and a closed shell is as safe as a jar. But they really should be freshly killed. ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2013, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-oyster-question/666499/2 "2013-08-17T17:12:41Z")
I doubt oysters will be bothered by a short excursion into freezing temperatures. Probably didn’t get below freezing inside their shells anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2013, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-oyster-question/666499/3 "2013-08-17T17:25:13Z")
> [@aNewLeaf](#): > > I doubt oysters will be bothered by a short excursion into freezing temperatures. > Probably didn’t get below freezing inside their shells anyway. I put them in the cooler around 7:30 last night. It’s 10:20 now, so that’s about 15 hours. Of course, the cooler had been outside and the interior would take some time to chill. I suspect the oysters didn’t freeze. After all, they live in waters that can get pretty cold. Usually I get the oysters and we eat them the same night. This is the first time I’ve put them on ice overnight, and I thought I’d better ask. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2013, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-oyster-question/666499/4 "2013-08-17T17:29:41Z")
If they’re still tightly closed, I’m sure they’re still alive. Your recipe sounds brilliant. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2013, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-oyster-question/666499/5 "2013-08-17T17:35:02Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > If they’re still tightly closed, I’m sure they’re still alive. Yes, and if the shell is open, tap it. A live oyster will shut its shell. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2013, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-oyster-question/666499/6 "2013-08-17T17:50:11Z")
Cook 'em well this summer - vibrio is worse than usual this year. > **[Shellfish lovers beware: Vibrio infections running high this summer](http://www.westseattleherald.com/2013/08/13/news/shellfish-lovers-beware-vibrio-infections-running)** > > The following warning on consuming shellfish was released by King County Public Health on Aug. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2013, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-oyster-question/666499/7 "2013-08-17T17:59:33Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > If they’re still tightly closed, I’m sure they’re still alive. > > Your recipe sounds brilliant. Not my recipe, but I can tell you it’s a good one! I need to extend thanks to whoever it was that suggested Acme when we went to NOLA last year. Prior to that, I only ate oysters raw or fried. > [@jasg](#): > > Cook 'em well this summer - vibrio is worse than usual this year. > > [Shellfish lovers beware: Vibrio infections running high this summer | West Seattle Herald / White Center News](http://www.westseattleherald.com/2013/08/13/news/shellfish-lovers-beware-vibrio-infections-running) Yes, it’s created a bit of a shortage; which is why I bought them in Seattle. The local supermarket that usually has the big ones can’t even get jarred ones now. We didn’t get sick from the raw kumamotos last night, so I suspect they’re OK. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2013, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-oyster-question/666499/8 "2013-08-17T19:11:06Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > Cook 'em well this summer - vibrio is worse than usual this year. > > [Shellfish lovers beware: Vibrio infections running high this summer | West Seattle Herald / White Center News](http://www.westseattleherald.com/2013/08/13/news/shellfish-lovers-beware-vibrio-infections-running) I love me some raw oysters and clams, but dear God there is no sick in the world like bad shellfish sick.