This Valentine’s Day, Lincolnshire residents are ideally placed to find the freshest shellfish like the romantically synonymous oyster. Here’s how to find the freshest, choose the best and use them well!

Oysters have long been considered synonymous with romance, and just like romance, they’ll either break your heart or leave you on cloud nine. Definitely a food heaven or food hell, part of their apparent controversy stems from the uncertainty of how to use them, and the inherent danger of choosing a less than fresh one only to suffer the digestive repercussions.

Oysters – a buyer’s guide
Lincolnshire is the ideal county in which to source fresh oysters. Two types are prevalent on the UK – the flat or native oyster, or the rock/Pacific oyster.

Around 20,000 tonnes of native oysters were found around the UK’s coastline throughout the 1900s, right up until the 1960s where several harsh winters depleted them to such a degree that the government encouraged the cultivation of rock oysters, of which 20,000,000 are now farmed around the UK.

Arguably, the native lobster is the better type, at their best from September to April. They command a premium but are worth the extra. Expect to pay around £1-£1.50 each and opt for the largest examples you can find. It’s also worth buying a specialised Shucking knife too in order to make opening them easier.

Buy fresh, buy best
Your independent expert fishmonger is the only sensible consideration when purchasing seafood. Frozen examples should be avoided as these tend to taste rubbery, and one should definitely avoid taking home ‘wild’ oysters found by the seashore. Only oysters brought from shops have definitely been obtained from waters with strict hygiene controls. Always reject ‘open’ oysters or those with an unusual or unpleasant smell.

Your fishmonger can shuck or open your oysters, preserving both the juice and oyster itself but it’s preferable to open them yourself – an easy process detailed below!

Storing, opening, eating
Oysters will keep for up to two weeks but must be stored round shell downwards on the bottom shelf of your fridge, no lower than 4°c. Cover with a damp cloth to prevent dehydration and never store them in water.