Oyster Guide: May CSA
Thank you to everyone who signed up for this month’s Massachusetts Oyster CSA! The Wellfleet, Barnstable, and Yarmouth Port oysters featured this month all have their own unique brininess level, flavor profile, and texture. You may also find that oysters of the same variety are each a little different. Below we review the basics of these three oysters and some local beer, wine, and cocktail pairings.
Barnstable Harbor: Scorton Creek Oysters
Origin: Barnstable Harbor, Massachusetts
Farmed: 15 months & available year-round
Average Size: 3-4’
Flavor Notes: Bright & Buttery
How They’re Grown: Scorton Creek Oysters is a 3-acre farm located in the Great Marsh of Sandy Neck. Scorton Creek uses a variety of growing methods to produce their oysters. Seed is started in a floating upweller system, then moved to the farm where they continue to grow in bags or suspended tubes. Once large enough, the seed is moved to trays, suspended bags, or placed on nets directly on the seafloor to finish growing out.
Beer Pairing: A pilsner is the perfect pairing for this Barnstable. We recommend Aeronaut Brewery’s Gift Horse, a rich wild ale aged in Chardonnay oak barrels.
Wine Pairing: This bright and buttery is the perfect oyster for a Chardonnay such as a Louis Jadot Pouilly-Fuissé Chardonnay, available at First United Market.
Cider Pairing: Try pairing this oyster with a robust unfiltered cider such as Downeast Cider’s Double Blend.
Cocktail Pairing: Boston’s Bully Boy’s Grapefruit Spritz is a great compliment to these bright Scorton Creek Oysters.
Photos from Scorton Creek Oysters
Yarmouth Port: Mill Creek Oysters
Origin: Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts
Farmed: 15-18 months
Average Size: 3’
Flavor Notes: Salty & Sweet
How They’re Grown: The Mill Creek Oyster Farm is on the tidal flats of Yarmouth Port where ponds and marshes were formed millions of years ago from receding glaciers all along Cape Cod. Water from these ponds is packed full of minerals and flows directly into our lease, giving the oysters an ample food source to grow and thrive. The result is a high salinity with a sweet finish, perfect with a squeeze of lemon.
Beer Pairing: This salty and sweet oyster is delicious with a citrusy ale such as Lamplighter Brewery’s Short Squeeze blood orange ale.
Wine Pairing: Try pairing this salty and sweet oyster with an acidic Pinot Grigio such as a Gorgo Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie which can be found at the Wine and Cheese Cask in Somerville.
Cider Pairing: Stormalong Cider’s citrusy and fruity Light of the Sun is the perfect companion to this Yarmouth Port Oyster.
Cocktail Pairing: We’re big fans of Trina’s Starlight Lounge cocktails to go! This oyster is the perfect foil to their Gentleman cocktail made with bourbon, pear liquor, and lemon.
Photo from Mill Creek Oysters
Wellfleet: Paine Hollow Morse Code Oysters
Origin: Wellfleet, Massachusetts
Farmed: 2 years
Average Size: 3’
Flavor Notes: Sweet & Briny
How They’re Grown: This classic Wellfleet oyster gets its crisp and briny flavor from extreme 12-foot tides and the high volume of water that rushes through Wellfleet Bay. Since Wellfleet waters tend to run colder than Nantucket Sound and surrounding areas, these oysters grow slowly and have a sweet side.
Beer Pairing: We recommend a hoppy IPA such as Dorchester Brewing Company’s O.F.D. Double IPA.
Wine Pairing: This sweet and briny oyster goes well with a dry Sauvignon blanc such as Oyster Bay’s Sauvignon blanc available at Morrissey Boulevard Wines & Liquors.
Cider Pairing: We recommend a dry cider to pair with this sweet and briny oyster, such as Artifact Cider’s By Any Other Name.
Cocktail Pairing: We recommend a classic gin Martini to compliment this oyster’s brininess. Opt for a dry gin such as Short Path Distillery’s London Dry Gin.
Photos from Allison Paine
This month’s mystery oyster:
Chatham: Chatham Shellfish Co.
Origin: Chatham, Massachusetts
Average Size: 3’ - 4’
Flavor Notes: Salty & Vegetal
How They’re Grown: Founded in 1976, Chatham Shellfish Company blends old oyster growing techniques with modern aquaculture technology.
Beer Pairing: This salty and vegetal oyster is perfect for a pilsner. We recommend Idle Hand’s Gretel German Pilsner.
Wine Pairing: An Albarino is perfect for this meaty, salty, and vegetal oyster. We recommend Bodegas La Cana Albarino available at Bauer Wine & Spirits.
Cider Pairing: Bantam Cider’s Wunderkind is the perfect crisp pairing for these Chatham oysters.
Cocktail Pairing: We’re big fans of the cocktails to go at Sichuan Garden’s Baldwin Bar and their Palomino Express is a match made in heaven for these oysters.
Photos from Chatham Shellfish Company