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Prudence Point Oysters

The nutrient rich waters of Narragansett Bay (Rhode Island) have long been revered for producing some of the finest oysters of Southern New England, and our Prudence Point oysters (Crassostrea virginica) are no exception.  The waters surrounding Prudence Island are provided with a ceaseless wash of phytoplankton, delivered courtesy of the Block Island Sound.  This nutrient rich environment has proved to be a veritable utopia for oyster farming.  Our Prudence Point oysters are started in a system of upwellers, which continually pump the brine-rich waters of the depths over the tiny oysters in an effort to accelerate their growth.  Natural upwelling action occurs in relatively few places, which is unfortunate…However, it is easily reproduced.  You see…The oysters grow more rapidly in the warm shallows (or on the surface of the water), but the deeper waters are laden with more nutrients.  So the upweller was created in an effort to deliver these nutrients from the depths to the shallow.  Genius in its simplicity!  After the oysters reach roughly an inch in diameter, the Prudence Point oysters are transferred to a mid-water culture, where they are held in bags suspended off of the bottom of the bay; effectively keeping the oysters free of bio-fouling.  Occasionally, the bags are hauled, and the oysters are chipped (manicured) to promote a greater cup definition and continuity in overall size.  While above the waterline, the Prudence Points are also power washed in an effort to further cleanse them and remove any bio-fouling from their shells.  After roughly two and a half or three years, the Prudence Points have attained a size of approximately three to three and a half inches in diameter, and are ready to go to market.  Our Prudence Point oysters are harvested on a per-order basis, and are packed out in 100 count units.  Within a scant few hours of this processing, the Prudence Points are loaded onto a J.P.’s Shellfish refrigerated truck, and are swiftly transported to our Eliot, Maine central distribution facility, and on to you.  Shells of the Prudence Point oysters are thick, dense, and resistant to chipping and splintering during the shucking process.  The meats are robust (yet silky) with a flavor profile which leads with a medium-high brininess before subtly and fluidly yielding to a bright, clean finish.

Please email info@jpshellfish.com or call 207-439-6018 for more information on this and or any other J.P.'s Shellfish product or service.