How to Tell If Your Oysters Are Fresh

When you want to buy fresh oysters, Singapore has plenty of good options to consider. You can, of course, drop by a seafood restaurant, or simply place an order from a trusted retail fish market such as Greenwood Fish Market. 

However, the most important thing to do before you tuck into oysters? Make sure that the oysters are fresh.

Oysters naturally taste great and are packed with beneficial nutrients, whether steamed, broiled, baked, sautéed, stewed or even consumed raw.

Eating raw oysters is generally safe but taking the proper precautions to consume fresh oysters can help you avoid food-borne illnesses and stomach upsets. 

Look Out For When Identifying Fresh Oysters

Of course, you have the chance to tell how fresh your oysters are when shopping for them at a grocery store or market. However, if you order oysters at a seafood restaurant or online for home delivery, you may not have the opportunity to personally inspect the oysters before they reach your plate.

Here are a few important tips to help you make an informed decision when verifying its freshness.

1. How Does it Smell?

Before you buy or eat an oyster, you should first give it a good sniff. If the oyster has gone bad, you’ll notice it right away. A fresh oyster should ideally have the scent of an ocean breeze and feel ice cold to the touch. If the oyster feels warm or gives off an offensive, pungent odour, then it is possibly about to go bad. Be sure to check this step before topping it with any sauces or garnishes, as those could potentially mask the odour. 

2. How Does it Look?

Take time to physically inspect the oyster’s shell and remember to avoid all open oysters. Open shells mean that the oyster inside has died and it may be harbouring unwanted bacteria. Check that the oyster appears well-hydrated from its oyster liquor and also, displays a firm, plump meaty look. 

3. How were the Oysters Preserved? 

If you’re out grocery shopping, ask the counter staff or fishmonger where their oysters were harvested from and how they have been preserved. If the oysters were preserved in ice, make sure that they are four days old at most, which is the maximum shelf life of oysters. At Greenwood Fish Market, we are direct seafood importers and ensure that our oysters are as fresh as can be by having several shipments flown in throughout the week. 

Buy Fresh Oysters at Greenwood Fish Market

Nothing has us going “Aw shucks!” more than oysters that aren’t fresh. If you are thinking of where to buy fresh oysters in Singapore, you can’t go wrong at Greenwood Fish Market.

Rest assured that we only serve the best and freshest oysters, with a myriad of varieties such as the Kumamoto and Katama Bay oysters from the United States, the Canadian Malpeque and Mary Point oysters, and the Normandy Specials oysters from France, just to mention a few. 

Be sure to catch our 9th World Oyster Festival happening from 1st to 31st July 2021. It’s your prime opportunity to sample over 26 varieties of fresh oysters from across the globe. You can dine-in, takeaway, or even order online with pick-up and islandwide deliveries available across Singapore — both during and after the festival. Shuck, sip, and slurp oysters to your heart’s content!