An Oyster Life (Blog)

With Fall right around the corner, we’re starting to get excited for one of our favorite things in the world– oyster festivals! If you’re new to the oyster festival world, or just want to bone up on your essentials list because you haven’t been in a while, this is the article for you. We’ll outline some of our favorite must-haves to get through your first oyster festival with a full stomach and a good mood. With dozens of oyster festivals around our area, there’s no reason not to get to as many as you can to sample all of the...

There are dozens and dozens of oyster recipes featuring oysters as a side dish. We’ve even published a ton of them ourselves. But, this can do a disservice to oysters everywhere and they totally deserve their time in the spotlight. The next time you want to serve oysters as your main course, try some of these tasty side dishes.   Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins The sweet/savory combination of flavors in these muffins works well with many dishes, including oysters. Making the cornbread in a muffin form will encourage your guests to eat with their hands, which they’re probably already doing if...

We all know that farmed oysters are good year-round, but the traditional prime oyster season is just about to start. We’ve been welcoming bunches of White Stone first-timers recently and wanted to take a moment to pass along some advice to help you avoid some of the most common oyster mistakes.  Buying Oysters From Anywhere We might be a little biased, but we think it’s important to enjoy a quality oyster when you’re in the mood for a shuck. Local farms like ours treat oysters safely and with care. All bivalves need to be kept cold and alive up until...

There’s almost nothing better than delicious smoked oysters. This perfect party dish is made to be shared during your late summer and early fall cookouts. Grab some crackers, and some cold drinks, then fire up the grill while your guests chow down on this delicious smoked oyster spread. Before beginning this recipe, you’ll need to first smoke your White Stone Oysters. Check out these helpful tips for making smoked oysters. We recommend you smoke your oysters the day before and give them time to cool before making the dip. What You Need: Smoked White Stone Oysters (roughly 2 dozen per...

The fabric of White Stone is sewn with the sinews of vibrant, meaningful relationships, that together, construct the functioning entity; the friends that run our hatcheries, our farmers, our truck drivers, our distributors, our chefs, our restaurant patrons, and beyond.  Each connection has a unique charge that makes up who we are, including the businesses whose visions run parallel.   Last month we hosted friends from a local White Stone, VA restaurant,  Adrift, and the conservation-minded, water-centric men's apparel brand, Fish Hippie. The day was filled with playful banter and meaningful discussion on the future of our waterways. We were joined by...

Aloha! Looking for a new, summery way to enjoy your White Stone Oysters? This tropical recipe will have you busting out your grass skirt and Hawaiian shirts. Combine with tasty tropical cocktails or light beers for the perfect tropical dining experience. What you need: 2 pounds of taro leaves, sliced 2 sticks of salted butter 1 cup coconut milk 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese White Stone Oysters ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs   What to do: Preheat the broiler to 375 degrees. Boil taro leaves with 4 quarts of water for an hour. Ensure the leaves...

The flavor of an oyster is determined by several factors like region, water, and farming method. Knowing how these things affect an oyster’s flavor can help you detect the subtle nuances between oysters and become an oyster pro.  First, you have to learn an important term, merroir. Merroir is derived from the same concept as wine’s terroir. Basically, the flavor profile of a wine, like that of an oyster is derived from the factors that go into its growth. While wines may be affected by soil, sun, and microclimate, oysters are affected by water quality, algae, current and tide, and...