Weathered picnic tables by the seaside. Crimson cafeteria trays, sleeves of saltines, squeeze bottles of cocktail sauce. Smoke curling from the grill as oysters sizzle — a real style of previous Florida. You may nonetheless discover it, however the wild oyster beds that after fed these moments had been closed in 2020, victims of overharvesting and polluted waters.
Of their place, a brand new trade took root: oyster farming.
Oyster farming calls for exhausting work — flipping cages, tumbling, and harvesting — however for Brandon Smith, farmer and proprietor of Grayson Bay Oyster Firm, it’s a rewarding escape. “I get up early, see the dawn, work within the water. It’s thrilling to go from placing within the seed to seeing somebody strive my oysters for the primary time. For me, it tastes like residence, regardless of the place I’m — it’s Pensacola in a chunk,” he mentioned.
“Purchase native” is greater than a slogan for Florida’s oyster farmers — it’s a struggle to indicate shoppers the price of a brand new type of oyster. Cainnon Gregg, proprietor and farmer at Pelican Oyster Firm, added, “In the event you care about Florida’s coast, cleaner water, and a more healthy setting, supporting native oyster farms is such a easy means to assist — individuals already love oysters, so why not purchase those that assist our communities thrive? We argue about what’s ‘native,’ however the reality is, actual native companies — just like the man on the dock making an attempt to ship his child to varsity — want our assist.”
Most farmers might be booked for occasions, as with Grayson Bay’s Cell Uncooked Bar, which travels close to and much and, should you’re fortunate, has a few of Smith’s selfmade Yuzu Kosho and Shallot Mignonette. Many farms additionally promote on to prospects — most harvest to order and may provide them with contemporary oysters after a fast telephone name or web site inquiry. Listed below are another methods I wish to slurp them throughout the state.
What are farm-raised oysters?
Courtesy of Southern Oyster Farms
In contrast to wild-harvested oysters that spend their lives in muddy bottoms, farm-raised oysters are prized by cooks for his or her uniformity and clear style. They start life at a hatchery, the place they develop from seed into fingernail-sized infants which might be deployed on a farm to be tended and tumbled till prepared for harvest.
“Farmed oysters develop identical to they’d within the wild, hanging in baskets and feeding on algae,” says Coleman Jernigan, government chef of The Citizen in Alys Seaside, Florida. “However the coolest half is the science behind it. Marine biologists develop these heirloom oysters, determining the best way to work with nature to make them cleaner and higher. It’s fairly superior — they need to be proud.”
When is oyster season?
The easy reply is all day, on daily basis. Farmed oysters are extremely regulated and dealt with with the very best ranges of meals security. Fast refrigeration begins at 11 a.m., and so they cannot be out of the water for greater than 4 hours — these aren’t oysters that sat on someone’s boat for 4 hours or all day behind a truck.
“If they’re farm-raised, they aren’t seasonal. Eat them everytime you need,” says Adrianne Johnson, government director of the Florida Shellfish Aquaculture Affiliation. “And isn’t it value spending the additional {dollars} to get native Florida farm-raised, as an alternative of the dredged-up oysters from out of state?”
How one can eat Florida oysters, in accordance with the professionals
With nuanced flavors that modify from place to position, all farmers agree, “Eat them bare.” Cypress Level Oyster even has a t-shirt emblazoned with the recommendation. Gregg likes them uncooked with a conventional mignonette or on a cracker along with his favourite native scorching sauce, Full Earth Farms, which you should buy proper on his web site whenever you order a bag of Salty Birds.
Tour Florida oyster farms
Courtesy of Southern Oyster Firm
There isn’t a higher method to introduce your self to Florida’s craft oysters than taking a guided farm tour and listening to the story of this keystone species from the grower.
Southern Oyster Farms
E book a 1.5-hour tour guided by Captain Cole, the proprietor and farmer of Southern Oyster Farms, and the legendary OysterMom, Keller, the primary to farm in Oyster Bay. They lead small teams of as much as six individuals by the Apalachee Bay, awaiting birds, dolphins, and sea turtles whereas Keller tells the story of oyster aquaculture in Florida, from permits and hatcheries to reap and distribution. When the group arrives on the farm, they tie up and present passengers the nuts and bolts of oyster husbandry. Then comes the most effective half: shucking (with a bit of lesson for the adventurous) and consuming oysters proper out of the water.
“These excursions spotlight the farmers’ dedication to defending our coastal waters whereas cultivating a premium product that helps a thriving community of companies. We emphasize the oyster’s outstanding capability to filter water, present habitat for numerous species, and function a wonderful supply of protein,” says Keller. “What different creature affords a lot whereas benefiting the setting? The oyster enriches each our tables and our oceans.”
Cypress Level Oysters
“Need oysters from the Forgotten Coast? Come to the farm — style Shiny Dimes, Salty Birds, and extra,” says Jody. “You get to return see an entire end-to-end processing facility. And also you get to work together probably with 4 to 5 totally different oyster farmers at one location.”
Guests to Cypress Level Oysters will see how oysters develop — from tiny spat to full-grown beauties. Tour the leases, go to the ghost forest, and find out how the farm helps hold the bay clear. Afterward, take pleasure in a tasting paired with some bubbles and native beer. In the event you’re not prepared to go away, you too can hire a comfy two-bedroom cabin.
“It is rustic — you’re staying proper on an oyster farm, not subsequent to a five-star restaurant,” says Jody. “You’ve obtained a full kitchen, a kayak to paddle, and should you’re up for it, we’ll even put you to work on the farm.”
Eating places, uncooked bars, and seafood markets
Courtesy of Savor The Coast
Probably the most dependable method to assure a style of Florida oysters is to go to a restaurant or uncooked bar devoted to supporting the state’s farms. “Each time you eat an oyster, you are tasting the physique of water it got here from. So should you’re visiting Panacea, Tallahassee, or St. Teresa, it is smart to strive the native oysters — it is a method to join with the place, immerse your self within the tradition,” says Gregg.
Some spots plan particular occasions round Florida oysters that take visitors past the menu. The Helm Provisions & Coastal Fare in St. Petersburg not solely shares Calusa oysters but additionally hosts a collaborative dinner out on the sandbar at high-top tables, surrounded by the water they’re grown in, sharing the farmer’s story.
Atlas Oyster Home shucks up a enjoyable night titled “The World is Your Oyster.” Govt chef Jason Hughes serves a five-course meal that begins with an amuse-bouche of Grayson Bay oysters topped with Gulf seafood ceviche and progresses by baked, smoked, and fried dishes. However the one which caught with me weeks after I attempted this journey? The chocolate oyster — a luster-dusted chocolate oyster shell is crammed with chocolate mousse and a whimsical strawberry-passionfruit mignonette. Control the restaurant’s social media for the following one.
Make it a night by reserving one of many candy Houseboats of Seville Harbour, moored up simply outdoors Atlas — proper within the middle of all Pensacola has to supply. The boats characteristic full kitchens, bogs, and eating areas. Private watercraft dockage, a standard grill deck, and a fish-cleaning station are additionally accessible.
It doesn’t matter what a part of the state you end up in, someone has some contemporary oysters from Florida waters. Verify these different spots out.
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Florida eating places serving regionally farmed oysters
- Cussed Seed, Miami
- Sunny’s, Miami
- The Tides Seafood Market and Provisions, Security Harbor
- Frenchy’s Stone Crab and Seafood Market, Dunedin
- Gulf Coast Crab and Seafood, Sarasota
- The Ruskin Seafood Market, Ruskin
- Spanish River Grill, New Smyrna Seaside
- Rogue Wave Wine Bar, New Smyrna Seaside
- Grand Marlin, Pensacola
- Keeper’s Bistro & Bar, Port St. Joe
- Sage, Tallahassee
- Rae’s, Tallahassee
- The Osprey, Orlando
- Knife & Spoon, Orlando
- Sassafras, West Palm Seaside
- Driftwood, Boynton Seaside
- Crabby’s Oyster Bar, Jensen Seaside
- Stage Kitchen & Bar, Boca & Palm Seaside Gardens
Breweries championing oysters
Beer and oysters are a pure match, so why not strive a beer brewed with oysters for the final word pairing? Dunes Brewing in Port Orange affords an oyster stout, brewing every batch with 300 Sharkbite Oysters. The roasty darkish beer has simply sufficient brine from the oysters to make it attention-grabbing. Throughout the state, Odd Colony Brewing Firm produces a pilsner brewed with and named after Grayson Bay’s iconic Tidal Information oysters. Get a pint on draft or, even higher, purchase a six-pack to go — the can contains a native artist’s rendition of the Grayson Bay farm at sundown, so you’ve got a built-in memento.
Many breweries across the state associate with native oyster farmers for pop-up occasions, the place you may take pleasure in an area brew whereas the farmer shucks and shares tales. Calusa Brewing Firm, in Sarasota, hosts pop-up occasions in collaboration with Tampa’s Calusa Oyster Firm.
Oyster Metropolis Brewing, as soon as a plankholder in Apalachicola, has a brand new residence in Tallahassee and hosts occasions with a number of farms, together with Osceola Oyster Firm. The brewery even has a delegated cooler for Osceola Oyster pickup, “It’s a pure match that celebrates our shared love for group, craft, and coastal taste,” says Marie Fraser, co-founder and farmer. You’ll find Osceola oysters at pop-up occasions at different native breweries, together with Amicus Brewing Ventures, Lake Tribe Brewing Firm, and DEEP Brewing Co.
Attend an oyster pageant
Slurping oysters, testing artwork, listening to dwell music, multi functional place? Sure, please! Festivals are one of many best methods to pattern some briny bivalves and sometimes provide a dose of native tradition.
Crafted
A weekend occasion in Alys Seaside, Crafted is hands-down my favourite of the 12 months. The pageant kicks off with a night of Emerald Coast Storytellers after which progresses by an old school Firkin Fête, Spirited Soirée the place you may slurp Florida oysters alongside libations from small-batch makers and artisans, and the top (in my opninion), the Experiential Mixology Dinner Sequence. In 2024, the occasion hosted a Mezcal and Oyster pairing that introduced collectively Lou Financial institution of Sacred Agave and John Harney of Serenoa Shellfish for a night of schooling, storytelling, and scrumptious drinks and bites, exploring the merroir and terroir of two handcrafted merchandise. Though the farm will change from 12 months to 12 months, pageant organizers have dedicated to highlighting Florida oysters.
Panacea Beer and Oyster Competition
Woolley Park, nestled on the waters of Dickerson Bay in Wakulla County, serves because the setting for this March occasion. The Panacea Beer and Oyster Competition is free and open to the general public, with the choice to buy limitless beer sampling. All beer ticket proceeds go to the Panacea Waterfronts Florida Partnership that works to revitalize the local people. Florida State Coastal and Marine Lab units up recycling bins to gather shells that may return within the waters to construct synthetic reefs, and although the lineup adjustments 12 months to 12 months, anticipate loads of regionally raised farm oysters.
Riverpalooza
Simply up the highway in Apalachicola, Riverpalooza takes over the waterfront for a day crammed with dwell music, coastal clean-up actions, raffles, environmental audio system, and many contemporary Water is Life oysters grown proper there in Apalachicola Bay. Xochitl Bervera, co-owner and farmer, provides, “Our oysters are grown with love and respect. We’re proud to be a part of constructing a sustainable, equitable, scrumptious native meals system.”
Newbies have additionally entered the scene this 12 months. Sharkbite introduced its shucking abilities to Oyster Fest at Dunes Brewing and the Ocala Oyster Competition. Longtime pageant St. George Island Brewfest launched Rattlesnake Cove oysters to the lineup.