Oyster month guest info book 2015

Oyster Month

Hood Canal, WA

April 2015

Oyster Month on Hood Canal, Alderbrook Resort & Spa, April 2015, 2


Oysters are a fundamental characteristic of the Pacific Northwest. Hood Canal oysters are touted for some of the finest flavors and textures worldwide. At Alderbrook Resort & Spa, we celebrate oysters in April because they are the plumpest and most succulent. This is due to the temperature of our glacial fjord waters and the reproductive stage of the oyster at this time of year. We are proud to harvest and serve you oysters directly from our beach-providing you with a fresh and authentic Hood Canal experience. We welcome you to enjoy our northwest tradition!

CELEBRATE OYSTER MONTH


OYSTER MONTH EXPERIENCES Daily: Oyster Harvest, Located at our Dock, 5:30PM Meet our Chef, watch him pull in the catch of the day from our beach and chat with him about our Shore to Table program!

Mondays: Beach Tours, Located on our Beach, *Tide Dependent Enjoy a walk on our beach with Cindy Sund, our Marine Services Director, for a guided exploration of our shores, oyster 101 and historic background of the Hood Canal. *Tour dates: 4/13: 6PM, 4/20: 12PM, 4/27: 5:30PM

Wednesdays*: Kid’s Art Class, Located in our Lobby or Lawn, 5-6PM Paint and draw the landscape and a Hood Canal oyster in a “paint by numbers” watercolor class for kids led by local Artist, Rob Kamin, of the Hood’s Canal Artist Haven. *Kid’s art class will not be offered on April 22nd or 29th.

Thursdays: Oyster BBQ, Located at our Cottage Lawn BBQ, 5-6PM Enjoy an oyster freshly harvested from our beach and cooked on the BBQ by our resident expert, Cindy Sund, Director of Marine Services.


Fridays: Oysters, Spirits & Art Located in our Lobby, Spirits: 5-7PM, Art class: 5-6PM, Oyster tasting: 6-7PM Savor the delightful pairing of a perfect Hood Canal oyster paired with spirits from local, Hoodsport-based, Hardware Distillery, while creating your own interpretation of the moment and setting in an art class led by local Artist, Rob Kamin, from the Hood’s Canal Artist Haven.

Saturdays:

Guest Shucker Demonstration Located in our Lounge, 3-4PM Watch our oyster shuckers demonstrate their expertise, share their best practices and let you taste a perfectly shucked oyster!

Beach Tours Located on our Beach, *Tide Dependent Enjoy a walk on our beach with Cindy Sund, our Marine Services Director, for a guided exploration of our shores, oyster 101 and historic background of the Hood Canal. *Tour dates: 4/4: 11:30AM,4/11: 4PM, 4/18: 12PM, 4/25: 4PM


Locally Grown & Harvested Oysters

OYSTER TYPES HAMA HAMA BLUE POOL OYSTERS Tumbled oysters grown on the Hama Hama farm, Blue Pools taste bright and crisp with a creamy, crunch texture. Unlike beach grown oysters, they spend the majority of their time underwater feeding and can capture algae suspended in the water column. This varied and plentiful algal diet results in a pronounced vegetable finish.

HAMA HAMA SEA COW OYSTERS They are rich and creamy, with a more pronounced metallic finish than most oysters. Because they are tumbled, they have a deep cup and consistent shape. Sea Cows are named after the Steller Sea Cow, an extinct kelp-eating manatee that once lived up and down the Pacific Coast.

HAMA HAMA BOOMSTICK OYSTERS In the early 20th century, residents of South Puget Sound used local waterways to transport floating rafts of old growth logs to area mills. Logs called boomsticks were used to tie the log booms together. Today, these oysters grow in those same waterways and their name pays homage to the history of the region while invoking a future economy based on clean estuaries and sustainable resource production. The oysters are grown in lay-flat bags in Hammersley Inlet, an oyster growing region known for producing full-flavored, creamy Pacific oysters with a metallic finish.


KUSSHI OYSTERS Kusshi oysters have an ultra-clean, mildly sweet flavor that is perfect for oyster newbies and connoisseurs alike. They are grown in floating trays and tumbled aggressively, a process which yields small deep-cupped oysters of uniform grace and beauty.

KUMAMOTO OYSTERS Kumamoto’s are worshipped for their amazing sweetness and clean, fruity aromas. These Japanese natives grow agonizingly slowly, but some things in life are worth the wait, and Kumos are one of them. Kumos take three to four years to reach perfection, and when they do, they will have beautifully fluted shells and plump meats with a hint of honeydew in both flavor and color.

PACIFIC OYSTERS Pacific’s are famous for its sweet-and-salty cucumber flavor. Pacific’s are gorgeous, with ruffled shells that can be colored green, brown, black, white, purple, and pink. The meats get big and plump, and can excel on the half shell or on the grill. We farm our Pacific’s in a number of different bays, each with its own signature flavor.

SHIGOKU OYSTERS Shigokus are Pacific oysters grown in bags that are attached to floats that go up and down in the tides, tumbling the oysters. Every time the oysters get agitated, they use their muscles to close their shells. It’s like Pilates class for oysters twice a day, and the result is an oyster with wonderfully firm flesh and a deep cup. Shigoku means “ultimate” in Japanese, and we think these unique oysters fit the bill.

TOTTEN INLET VIRGINICA OYSTERS In a special spot in Totten Inlet, Taylor Shellfish planted the first bed of virginicas seen on this coast in decades. They quickly became a sensation. Many oyster fanatics consider our TIV to be the finest oyster on earth, perfectly combining the crisp and crunchy brine of a virginica with the rich and earthy flavors of Totten Inlet.



OYSTER 101 Oyster Shell Anatomy:

Oysters have 2 shells and are known as “bivalve”. The flat shell is the top and the curved one is the bottom. The pointed end is a hinge or “umbo” where the two shells come together and is the oldest part of the shell. An “adductor” muscle holds the 2 shells together and can seal it shut so that the oyster can survive for days outside of the water. Humans have adductor muscles too! Hold your hand open and facing you, now touch the tip of your thumb to your palm. You’ve just used one of your adductor muscles! Adductors are pulling muscles so they pull the 2 shells of an oyster together. The dark spot on the bottom shell indicates where the adductor attached.

Oyster Types:

Olympia oysters are the only oyster species native to the west coast of North America. They’re small and easy to identify. The bigger, heartier, and meatier Pacific oyster, introduced from Japan in the 1950s, has since taken over as the dominant oyster in Puget Sound. Like the Pacific, the Kumamoto oyster originally hails from Japan. Some people think the Kumo is a variety of Pacific that evolved in isolated bays and estuaries. Kumos can’t reproduce in Puget Sound or Hood Canal because the water is too cold, so the only way to grow them in these climes is to buy seed from an oyster hatchery.


How do you farm oysters? Are they different than beach-raised?

The only difference in farming is controlling their environment so they aren’t squished, battered or smushed while growing. This results in a deeper, more consistent shape making them easier to shuck. Farms like Hama Hama Oyster Co. coexist with the existing ecosystem. Tumbling is a commonly used form of farming oysters. A line of bags full of oysters are attached to buoys and the tide naturally tumbles the bags.

Why are oysters the most plump and sweet in April?

Oysters store a carbohydrate compound called glycogen during the colder temperatures. Glycogen tastes like sugar to us. Hood Canal stays cold as it is a glacier-carved fjord, and by April, oysters are as plump and juicy as that they are going to get all year. As the temperature rises, oysters convert glycogen to reproductive material, making them taste fishier. The old myth is that we shouldn’t eat oysters during months with an “r”. You could eat oysters in the summer but they are not nearly as palatable and there is a higher risk for bacteria that occurs in the warmer months. Oysters spawn in late summer, creating a milky texture which even the most ardent oyster-lovers find unpleasant.

How do I catch oysters?

Actually, you don't "catch" oysters. You pick them, right out of the mud. You just wade through the mud to the where the oyster or mounds lay, pick it up or pull the clumps apart and put them in the bucket

What will I need to get the job done?

A pair of protective gloves, waterproof shoes, a bucket and oyster shucking knives. You will also need a shellfish license.



OYSTER 101 Are the oysters I’m eating in the restaurant from your beach?

There’s a good chance they are, although we do serve other oysters here. Our beach produces Pacific oysters and they are considered beach-raised as we do not control the environment.

So can I pick oysters off Alderbrook’s beach?

Well, preferably, join Cindy on the beach tours and she will show you how a pro does it.

Does your Chef go out onto the beach and pick oysters up before dinner?

Nope. It’s actually a big job, so we have a local company, S&B do the job for us. They collect and leave bags full of oysters attached to the dock. But join the Chef on the dock at 5:30pm daily in April when he pulls oyster harvest bag.

Will these oysters have pearls?

They might!


Cool! I’m rich!

Well…not quite. Pacific oyster pearls aren’t valuable, but they are really cool. (Jewelry pearls are produced by pearl oysters, which are in a different genus than edible oysters)

Special Concerns and Warnings

There are cautions for this activity. First, watch the tide as the area will be reclaimed by water. Make sure you don't get stuck in the mud with the tide coming back in. We mean it! You can really get stuck in it, so keep an eye on the kids and the tide! Second, oysters are very sharp, like a razor blade. The cuts inflicted can be very deep and become very painful later that night. Third, always check that the area is not restricted, as oysters become contaminated in areas. Pregnant women should not consume raw oysters.

Pearl of wisdom: Oysters really are what they eat. They are filter feeders and rely on the current to bring them their dinner.


HOW TO SHUCK OYSTERS How to Shuck Oysters

1. Insert the knife into the oyster hinge, and gently work the knife back and forth until the hinge pops open. This takes finesse, not brute strength, but this is the dangerous part because people always try to out muscle the oyster. Be sure that you always point the knife away from your fingers/wrist/etc.

2. Next, wipe the blade clean on a towel, and slide the knife inside the oyster along the top shell to sever the top muscle.

3. Then remove the top shell, and sever the bottom muscle.

4. Inspect the oyster for bits of shell. And, if you’re worried about presentation, flip the oyster over in its shell before serving. This also helps you verify that the oyster is truly free from its shell.

How to eat oysters

Pick the oyster shell up, keeping it flat so as not to spill the juices. Hold it so that the smooth edge of the shell is facing towards you and enjoy!

Or, put them on a hot bbq for a few minutes. Feel free to experiment with cheese, hot sauce or whatever takes your fancy! We find that simpler is better.

Oyster Month: April 2015

Thank you for celebrating Oyster Month with us at Alderbrook Resort & Spa.

We welcome you to make this experience your northwest tradition.

Oyster month guest info book 2015

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