How to Shuck An Oyster: Tips and Tricks

it usually takes a professional less

it usually takes a professional less than three seconds to get it done hi I’m

than three seconds to get it done hi I’m

than three seconds to get it done hi I’m Rebecca Brayton and welcome to

Rebecca Brayton and welcome to

Rebecca Brayton and welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’ll be

watchmojo.com and today we’ll be

watchmojo.com and today we’ll be learning how to shuck an oyster when we

learning how to shuck an oyster when we

learning how to shuck an oyster when we refer to Easter shucking what exactly

refer to Easter shucking what exactly

refer to Easter shucking what exactly are we talking about basically the goal

are we talking about basically the goal

are we talking about basically the goal of an oyster shucker is to open an

of an oyster shucker is to open an

of an oyster shucker is to open an oyster and in 3 or 4 seconds if need be

oyster and in 3 or 4 seconds if need be

oyster and in 3 or 4 seconds if need be when you’re pressed for time and have

when you’re pressed for time and have

when you’re pressed for time and have the oyster be as perfect as it was 4

the oyster be as perfect as it was 4

the oyster be as perfect as it was 4 seconds before you just took it out of

seconds before you just took it out of

seconds before you just took it out of the shell it’s gonna be sitting there

the shell it’s gonna be sitting there

the shell it’s gonna be sitting there without a cut in the belly or any of the

without a cut in the belly or any of the

without a cut in the belly or any of the meat it’s gonna be severed from the

meat it’s gonna be severed from the

meat it’s gonna be severed from the shell and just perfect and just toss her

shell and just perfect and just toss her

shell and just perfect and just toss her back is it difficult it can be very

back is it difficult it can be very

back is it difficult it can be very difficult yes there’s a number of

difficult yes there’s a number of

difficult yes there’s a number of injuries that you can definitely you are

injuries that you can definitely you are

injuries that you can definitely you are wielding a sharp knife and with most

wielding a sharp knife and with most

wielding a sharp knife and with most oyster shuckers you are also drinking

oyster shuckers you are also drinking

oyster shuckers you are also drinking the best advice was from my sister I was

the best advice was from my sister I was

the best advice was from my sister I was champion oyster shucker there and when I

champion oyster shucker there and when I

champion oyster shucker there and when I started doing ask him for advice

started doing ask him for advice

started doing ask him for advice she stopped that she looked at me as she

she stopped that she looked at me as she

she stopped that she looked at me as she was jester says do five thousand then

was jester says do five thousand then

was jester says do five thousand then come back and ask me so really the

come back and ask me so really the

come back and ask me so really the advice is do as many as you can with

advice is do as many as you can with

advice is do as many as you can with each one you’re gonna get better and

each one you’re gonna get better and

each one you’re gonna get better and better like you mentioned there are a

better like you mentioned there are a

better like you mentioned there are a lot of oyster shucking competitions

lot of oyster shucking competitions

lot of oyster shucking competitions around the world have you ever been

around the world have you ever been

around the world have you ever been involved in one I’ve competed about five

involved in one I’ve competed about five

involved in one I’ve competed about five competitions for four or five or six

competitions for four or five or six

competitions for four or five or six competitions I just competed at the

competitions I just competed at the

competitions I just competed at the Canadian national competition this year

Canadian national competition this year

Canadian national competition this year in Tyne Valley with some of the best

in Tyne Valley with some of the best

in Tyne Valley with some of the best guys in Canada and how fast for you I

guys in Canada and how fast for you I

guys in Canada and how fast for you I was very very happy that I came in

was very very happy that I came in

was very very happy that I came in fourth place in Canada so they take your

fourth place in Canada so they take your

fourth place in Canada so they take your flat time so it’s how quickly opened

flat time so it’s how quickly opened

flat time so it’s how quickly opened them and then they take deductions for

them and then they take deductions for

them and then they take deductions for if the bellies cut immediately severed

if the bellies cut immediately severed

if the bellies cut immediately severed so my time for doing 18 oysters was a

so my time for doing 18 oysters was a

so my time for doing 18 oysters was a minute 43 seconds thanks very much thank

minute 43 seconds thanks very much thank

minute 43 seconds thanks very much thank you very much all right so now it’s time

you very much all right so now it’s time

you very much all right so now it’s time for me to show you how to shuck an

for me to show you how to shuck an

for me to show you how to shuck an oyster there’s two different ways to

oyster there’s two different ways to

oyster there’s two different ways to shuck an oyster one is from the back or

shuck an oyster one is from the back or

shuck an oyster one is from the back or the hinge which we do here in the

the hinge which we do here in the

the hinge which we do here in the Maritimes and a little bit out west and

Maritimes and a little bit out west and

Maritimes and a little bit out west and the other one is going in by the side

the other one is going in by the side

the other one is going in by the side we’re gonna stick to the back hinge

we’re gonna stick to the back hinge

we’re gonna stick to the back hinge opening method and we’re gonna show you

opening method and we’re gonna show you

opening method and we’re gonna show you how to do that so what you do is you

how to do that so what you do is you

how to do that so what you do is you take your oyster you’re gonna place it

take your oyster you’re gonna place it

take your oyster you’re gonna place it out in front of you this up here the

out in front of you this up here the

out in front of you this up here the flat side that it’s gonna call the lid

flat side that it’s gonna call the lid

flat side that it’s gonna call the lid and this one is gonna be called the cup

and this one is gonna be called the cup

and this one is gonna be called the cup the oyster you always want it to be cup

the oyster you always want it to be cup

the oyster you always want it to be cup side down if you haven’t done ten

side down if you haven’t done ten

side down if you haven’t done ten thousand oysters here’s what I suggest

thousand oysters here’s what I suggest

thousand oysters here’s what I suggest take your oyster put it in a claw on the

take your oyster put it in a claw on the

take your oyster put it in a claw on the counter and what you’re gonna do is

counter and what you’re gonna do is

counter and what you’re gonna do is you’re gonna take your hand and don’t

you’re gonna take your hand and don’t

you’re gonna take your hand and don’t put your hand like this because you

put your hand like this because you

put your hand like this because you there’s no reason to protect the oyster

there’s no reason to protect the oyster

there’s no reason to protect the oyster you want to protect your hand so you

you want to protect your hand so you

you want to protect your hand so you take the cloth and you’re gonna cover

take the cloth and you’re gonna cover

take the cloth and you’re gonna cover your hand with it that way if this nice

your hand with it that way if this nice

your hand with it that way if this nice slips

slips

slips going to be protected for it now I’m

going to be protected for it now I’m

going to be protected for it now I’m going to show you without the cloth so

going to show you without the cloth so

going to show you without the cloth so you take your knife you’re going to find

you take your knife you’re going to find

you take your knife you’re going to find the sweet spot in the back hinge right

the sweet spot in the back hinge right

the sweet spot in the back hinge right here you’re going to go in in about a 45

here you’re going to go in in about a 45

here you’re going to go in in about a 45 degree angle downwards so you take your

degree angle downwards so you take your

degree angle downwards so you take your knife you’re going to hold it nice and

knife you’re going to hold it nice and

knife you’re going to hold it nice and firm so the oyster doesn’t Rock that’s

firm so the oyster doesn’t Rock that’s

firm so the oyster doesn’t Rock that’s where a lot of the injuries happen just

where a lot of the injuries happen just

where a lot of the injuries happen just with a little bit of pressure just like

with a little bit of pressure just like

with a little bit of pressure just like you’re sharpening a pencil a little bit

you’re sharpening a pencil a little bit

you’re sharpening a pencil a little bit of wiggling not too much as a mistake

of wiggling not too much as a mistake

of wiggling not too much as a mistake most people make that they try to wiggle

most people make that they try to wiggle

most people make that they try to wiggle too much and then you’re breaking all

too much and then you’re breaking all

too much and then you’re breaking all the shells and if shells fall in the

the shells and if shells fall in the

the shells and if shells fall in the oyster no one likes a crunchy oyster so

oyster no one likes a crunchy oyster so

oyster no one likes a crunchy oyster so once the knife is in you’ll see you

once the knife is in you’ll see you

once the knife is in you’ll see you found the sweet spot a knife is just

found the sweet spot a knife is just

found the sweet spot a knife is just going to stand right up there hold it in

going to stand right up there hold it in

going to stand right up there hold it in there you give a little pop there you go

there you give a little pop there you go

there you give a little pop there you go the oyster is open now the trick is to

the oyster is open now the trick is to

the oyster is open now the trick is to release the top muscle on the bottom

release the top muscle on the bottom

release the top muscle on the bottom muscle they call the adductor muscles so

muscle they call the adductor muscles so

muscle they call the adductor muscles so how we do that as we take our knife and

how we do that as we take our knife and

how we do that as we take our knife and you’re gonna be doing more scraping and

you’re gonna be doing more scraping and

you’re gonna be doing more scraping and cutting you’re gonna hold the oyster

cutting you’re gonna hold the oyster

cutting you’re gonna hold the oyster open like that then what you’re going to

open like that then what you’re going to

open like that then what you’re going to do is you’re going to put your knife all

do is you’re going to put your knife all

do is you’re going to put your knife all the way to the back to the right side of

the way to the back to the right side of

the way to the back to the right side of the muscle the muscle is going to be

the muscle the muscle is going to be

the muscle the muscle is going to be right there sort of off to a little bit

right there sort of off to a little bit

right there sort of off to a little bit of the right imagine that this was an

of the right imagine that this was an

of the right imagine that this was an oyster in our heart was off to the right

oyster in our heart was off to the right

oyster in our heart was off to the right same thing with this muscle of the

same thing with this muscle of the

same thing with this muscle of the oyster so you’re probably open we’re

oyster so you’re probably open we’re

oyster so you’re probably open we’re gonna go to the right side of the muscle

gonna go to the right side of the muscle

gonna go to the right side of the muscle or the far side you’re gonna give a nice

or the far side you’re gonna give a nice

or the far side you’re gonna give a nice little cut there and once you cut the

little cut there and once you cut the

little cut there and once you cut the muscle every the shell is just gonna

muscle every the shell is just gonna

muscle every the shell is just gonna fall away and the shell falls away I’m

fall away and the shell falls away I’m

fall away and the shell falls away I’m gonna flatten it out a little bit there

gonna flatten it out a little bit there

gonna flatten it out a little bit there you’re left with a beautiful little

you’re left with a beautiful little

you’re left with a beautiful little oyster like that you’re gonna lift the

oyster like that you’re gonna lift the

oyster like that you’re gonna lift the back up just to check if there’s any

back up just to check if there’s any

back up just to check if there’s any show no shell we’re looking perfect this

show no shell we’re looking perfect this

show no shell we’re looking perfect this is a very very nice oyster there’s no

is a very very nice oyster there’s no

is a very very nice oyster there’s no cut in the body or the meat you’re gonna

cut in the body or the meat you’re gonna

cut in the body or the meat you’re gonna take your knife and just in one nice

take your knife and just in one nice

take your knife and just in one nice little swoop you’re gonna cut away from

little swoop you’re gonna cut away from

little swoop you’re gonna cut away from you again more kind of moving against

you again more kind of moving against

you again more kind of moving against the shell then cutting through it you’re

the shell then cutting through it you’re

the shell then cutting through it you’re just going to push it across it like

just going to push it across it like

just going to push it across it like that your oyster is freed and you’re set

that your oyster is freed and you’re set

that your oyster is freed and you’re set to go