How do we do it?
Lots of people find themselves scratching their heads at the idea of fresh Maine oysters shipped directly to their doorstep. Especially in places like Wisconsin, Ohio and other non-bivalve boasting regions. We thought it would be helpful to put together a How-We-Do-It guide on our shipping process. We hope this answers lots of your questions on the reliability and safety measures taken when shipping raw shellfish across the great planes.
Step One: Freshness
Oysters are one of the most highly regulated foods on the market. This pushes us as an oyster farm to hold high standards for us and our farm partners when it comes to handling and freshness. Most often on pack and ship days, our farmers are out on the docks early - pulling oysters from the river to be shipped that day. The oysters are pulled from our wet storage, a large dock system with sunken crates that allows for the oysters to stay submerged in the river until right before packing time. Oftentimes your fresh Maine oysters will have been pulled from the river less than 48 hours by the time they reach your doorstep.
Step Two: Packaging and Cooling
Oysters are ideally kept at 40 degrees Fahrenheit at all times. We utilize an eco-cooler packaging system designed to keep your oysters cold. This packaging can also be composted, burned or recycled at the end of the shipping process. Your oysters will also be packed with a food grade cool pack. Occasionally the packs will break or burst in the shipping process. Not to worry tho, the ingredients are food grade and safe to just wash off the oysters. Lastly, we use a temp tracker sticker on the top of your box. The temp tracker utilizes temperature based technology that changes color based on what temp it is currently in your package. The color that shows on the tracker will ensure you that the package has been kept at a safe temp throughout its travels.
Step Three: Shipping
We utilize FedEx overnight shipping for all Shellfish Orders. Once the packages have been shipped, we watch the shipping process, but ultimately it is in FedEx's hands. We always pack for at least two day shipping. Occasionally there will be delays in the shipping process. If the package does arrive but is late, please utilize the temp tracker to make sure the shellfish are at a safe consumption temperature. If the the temp tracker says they are not safe to eat, please discard the oysters and we will ship you another batch or issue a full refund.
Step Five: Consumption
All Oysters are shipped raw, alive and unshucked. If you do not have a shucking knife at home, we have a few options available here that can be added to your shipment. We also have an oyster starter kit that comes with a knife and chef towel. If you don't know how to shuck, we have written an oyster shucking tutorial to help you out here. Once you have shucked the oysters feel free to adorn them with anything from hot sauce, mignonette, or enjoy them straight up. Cheers!
