The West Falmouths were okay. We're looking at a 4 to 4.5 out of 5 on shell shape. For the most part, the shapes were consistent and pretty with a nice cup. However, they didn’t score higher because there were some size discrepancies. Some looked to be 3" to 3.25" while others were easily 3.5" to 4". Shuckability was a 4.5 out of 5 and the only reason they didn’t get a 5 was because they were so easy to open that a little bit of shell had a tendency to break off and get in the oyster when pushing the knife through. Meat content was where my disappointment came in.
Apparently, the area from which these oysters come is a seeded area and then bottom-planted.* It seems that this practice has changed the look of the shell, perhaps has expedited their growth and therefore has affected the meat content. I gave them a 3.5 out of 5 as they don’t quite fill the nice cup that the shell has. The meats were very flavorful with a bold salt content and what people call an “earthy” finish. This was probably due to the fact that there were a few mud particles in each one.
Click here for West Falmouth Oysterology®.
These did very well… rating 4.5 to 5’s across the board! As you already know, they are a pretty small oyster, but that didn’t stop them from being full of meat! They were very consistent in size (2 inches), shape, and boasted more meat than some 3 inch oysters! The cup is almost an inch deep! They were very easy to shuck and the only reason they didn’t get a 5 on shuckability was because of their size: they are a little harder to get a firm grip on. They were surprisingly salty and very creamy. It reminded Connie and me of an avocado… very tasty!
