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[url=http://www.life123.com/food/cooking-tips/oysters/important-oyster-facts.shtml
http://www.life123.com/food/cooking-tips/oysters/important-oyster-facts.shtml[/url]Novice oyster eaters and old pros alike may have heard the old adage that says, "Never eat oysters in a month that doesn't contain the letter R." This cautionary statement presumably warns against eating this particular type of shellfish during the warmer months to avoid coming down with a food-borne illness. How did this saying originate, and is it based in fact or is it merely an old wives tale?
My research turned up several schools of thought. Perhaps the most common stipulates that the saying is a relic from the days of primitive refrigeration and that with modern handling techniques, you need not fear eating oysters at any time during the year. Another, as presented in an article in the "Louisiana Conservationist," states that the government of Louisiana, back in the 1870s, banned collecting oysters during the summer months as a way to keep from over-harvesting the stocks. This made eating oysters in months without an R not dangerous, but illegal. A third says that there is nothing unhealthy about eating summer oysters, but that the mollusks breed in the summer, making them watery and tasteless. Proponents of this theory recommend eating the Kumamoto in the summer season, as they are unable to spawn in the cold waters of the Pacific Northwest.
But perhaps the most solid evidence comes from a report published by the FDA in July 2005. This report shows that the bacterium responsible for food poisoning due to oysters is more common in warmer waters and that the majority of reports of illness from eating oysters does indeed come in the summer months. Still, the report shows that the risk of becoming sick from eating oysters is reassuringly low. The study showed that the chances of becoming ill from eating oysters from the Northeast Atlantic in winter is one in 100 million servings, with the average serving size being a dozen. The risk increases to one in 100 thousand servings for Northeast oysters in summer-still quite minimal. Be aware, though, that many health-care professionals recommend that pregnant women or those with weak immune systems should steer clear of uncooked seafood. Though not as heavenly as when consumed raw, the bivalves can also be eaten baked, steamed, fried, or grilled.
I’ll be sliding into town March 10-14. Can you have it warm and sunny for me then? And also, how about having the fish biting??? :D
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