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Sunset Beach Oysters

In an effort to further provide you with options and variety, we at J.P.’s Shellfish have started sourcing Sunset Beach oysters (Crassostrea gigas) from the lower Hood Canal, located in Washington State.  The Hood Canal is fed by the pristine waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and is generally recognized as the premier location for the grow-out of Pacific oysters.  The Sunset Beach oysters are a terrific representation of what one should expect from a beach-grown Pacific oyster.  As the Sunset Beach oysters are grown out in the shallows of the Hood Canal, they are constantly thickening and hardening their shells in an effort to protect themselves from the Sun’s rays.  Nuts and bolts, you are the benefactor of this natural process, as the shells of the Sunset Beach become heartier and significantly more robust than those Pacific varieties which lack this exposure to bright light.  If you are leery of sourcing Pacific oysters because in the past they you have experienced a certain degree of brittleness associated with the species, the Sunset Beach will prove to you that not all oysters are created equal.  The forces of the tidal currents cause the beach-grown oysters to gently chafe against the canal bed, thereby naturally manicuring and cleansing the shells.  The profoundly fluted and deeply cupped shells of the Sunset Beach are both aesthetically pleasing and incredibly practical in terms of liquor retention and ease of shucking.  Size wise, the Sunsets are roughly three and a quarter to four and a quarter inches in length, and are graded out as choice.  Meats fill out the shells, and possess a silky texture.  Flavors of the Sunset Beach are what you might expect from a Hood Canal oyster, starting with a mildly sweet melon composition which relinquishes to a medium brininess and then finishes with a slight mineral finale.  We at J.P.’s Shellfish have Sunset Beach oysters packed out in 100 count units, and are available on a more or less year-round basis.  As with all of our west coast products, pre-orders are required in order to provide you with only the freshest product available.

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.