Those little smoked oysters in a can..... () () ()

quote:

Originally posted by rouxdog

I really should stop hanging out around here. Sometime back, a similar topic concerning canned foods popped up, got inspired went and bought a dozen or so of assorted delicacies such as sardines, potted meat, vienna sausages, Beenie Weenies, etc. Polished all those off. Now I gotta get smoked oysters!!

Dang! NOW U got me thinkin' about Beefaroni! ("We're having Beefaroni!... It's made with macaroni...")

quote:

Originally posted by Adjudicator

quote:

Originally posted by rouxdog

I really should stop hanging out around here. Sometime back, a similar topic concerning canned foods popped up, got inspired went and bought a dozen or so of assorted delicacies such as sardines, potted meat, vienna sausages, Beenie Weenies, etc. Polished all those off. Now I gotta get smoked oysters!!

Dang! NOW U got me thinkin' about Beefaroni! ("We're having Beefaroni!... It's made with macaroni...")

Don't forget to pick up some Spam and Dinty Moore Beef Stew while you're at the store!

I know I answered before-my Moyther always put a can of smoked oysters in my Christmas stocking-I miss that tradition...

Went to the store today. Guess what I bought? Power of suggestion, you smooth talkin' Devil's!

I'm thinking about making a spread with them. Any Suggestions?

I've looked over all the posts on this topic and I can't find one that talks about smoked oysters packed in olive oil. That's the only kind I will buy. They are about a dollar or two a can more than the ones packed in cottonseed oil and miles better in flavor.
Usually sold in "better" markets and "gourmet" type stores.
I'm addicted to them.

I used to get a few in my stocking every christmas...still get them from time to time , but now like a shot of tabasco on them- still , they have the ring of comfort food

Usually I buy Reese smoked oysters but the last time I thought I'd give Bumble Bee a try. I went to open the box last night and something prompted me to check the labeling:

"Product of China".

I've never checked the Reese boxes before but will do that next time, as I'm trying to be better about checking the country of origin.

Now as far as the BB oysters go...I hate to waste food but I'm debating whether or not to eat them. I do know that I won't be buying them again.

Brad

That's really a good point Brad.

With as overstretched and underfunded as our FDA is, it is certainly not up to the task of making sure food items coming from China ... a country with an absolutely blistering pollution problem ... are free of toxins/heavy metals etc.

That's the thing about heavy metals ... once you get it in your body, you really can't get it out ... a condition that, at least in children, is directly related to autism and retardation (ref: autism.com). Though the medical treatment called "chelation" is used to try and remove some heavy metals from one's body, my understanding is that it is only partially effective.

Whether large fish from inland waters or the Great Lakes, or fish and seafood from developing countries etc ... what a shame it is that we have to consider the regular consumption of so much commercial seafood and fish as potentially dangerous.

I know, it sounds like painting chinese food products with a rather broad brush ... but the consequences can be really serious.

Twin, thanks for the olive oil tip! Everything tasts better in olive oil, I think.

Brad and Sonny, also thanks for the info about China!

I am going to be more picky about the smoked oysters I eat and love.
Joe

quote:

Originally posted by PapaJoe8
Twin, thanks for the olive oil tip! Everything tasts better in olive oil, I think.

Brad and Sonny, also thanks for the info about China!

I am going to be more picky about the smoked oysters I eat and love.
Joe

I heard the story about some of the fish from China being raised in sewer water. Is the consensus that the smoked oysters may also be from sewer water? The Ocean Prince cans I have ($1 at Big Lots) indeed say "product of China". Any thoughts on the safety of them?

Thanks,

Kevin

I believe that the additional concerns of purchasing products from other countries involve the ideas of "outsourcing" and environmental issues, as well as quality and taste. Farm-raised finfish and shellfish not only take away from our own local folks trying to eke out a living, (I can relate to this as I used to own a shrimp boat), foreign aquaculture is notorious for experiencing massive failures which in turn lead to environmental contamination of natural resources in incredible proportions. Cyclical failure of Japanese aquaculture and Asian Carp invasion, for example. A full-court push issue here, and which has been, is to buy local, wild-caught seafood. Salmon, shrimp, et.al. Mainly shrimp here. I just saw, in a new catalog of mine, my local seafood house, (about four blocks from my home), selling 5lbs. of our local, wild-caught shrimp for $95.00. Well that's great for my friends here, but I can walk down there and get the same shrimp, not frozen and fresh off the boat, for $6.00 per pound, (or less depending on the season because these are 31-40 count). Buying foreign, farm-raised products is tantamount to MNC's; calling for IT support and getting hooked-up speaking with someone who's in India; etc. Just yesterday, for instance, this story ran in my local newspapers, (I had to wonder if, [tongue firmly in cheek here], this could be attributed to the price of our local product in that well-known catalog): http://www.beaufortgazette.com/state_news/regional/story/6613722p-5891056c.html
Farming does, I suppose, relieve our resources from over fishing and it does give the restaurants uniformity of size-per-serving, etc., but at what cost? I do know, for a fact, that a lot of the seafood restaurants on the coasts use farm-raised over true simply for portion control and uniformity. For example, they easily can order the shrimp for the platter from a supplier that has them all per-portion pre-packaged and uniform in size, etc., that they can open, cook and the consumer loves them. True, fresh-off-the-boat seafood is graded for size, yes, however, they are not all born and raised at the same time in the same environment producing a uniform product on the plate. This is what consumers want so that's what they get. It seems to all be a matter of priority and how far one will go to support ideals.

quote:

Originally posted by KOK

quote:

Originally posted by PapaJoe8
Twin, thanks for the olive oil tip! Everything tasts better in olive oil, I think.

Brad and Sonny, also thanks for the info about China!

I am going to be more picky about the smoked oysters I eat and love.
Joe

I heard the story about some of the fish from China being raised in sewer water. Is the consensus that the smoked oysters may also be from sewer water? The Ocean Prince cans I have ($1 at Big Lots) indeed say "product of China". Any thoughts on the safety of them?

Thanks,

Kevin

As there is really no way to individually check a can of fish or shellfish from China for toxic substances ... and China is pretty much the posterchild for out-of-control pollution, as far as I'm concerned - I wouldn't touch a can of those oysters with a 10 foot pole (so to speak ;-).

I also like the idea of supporting US/Canadian or local producers.

And as well, I like the idea of supporting properly run North American aquaculture ("fish farms" etc). It would seem the best current solution to overfishing and depleting wild fish stocks.

quote:

Originally posted by Sonny Funzio

quote:

Originally posted by KOK

quote:

Originally posted by PapaJoe8
Twin, thanks for the olive oil tip! Everything tasts better in olive oil, I think.

Brad and Sonny, also thanks for the info about China!

I am going to be more picky about the smoked oysters I eat and love.
Joe

I heard the story about some of the fish from China being raised in sewer water. Is the consensus that the smoked oysters may also be from sewer water? The Ocean Prince cans I have ($1 at Big Lots) indeed say "product of China". Any thoughts on the safety of them?

Thanks,

Kevin

As there is really no way to individually check a can of fish or shellfish from China for toxic substances ... and China is pretty much the posterchild for out-of-control pollution, as far as I'm concerned - I wouldn't touch a can of those oysters with a 10 foot pole (so to speak ;-).

I also like the idea of supporting US/Canadian or local producers.

And as well, I like the idea of supporting properly run North American aquaculture ("fish farms" etc). It would seem the best current solution to overfishing and depleting wild fish stocks.

Youze guys have lit my light bulb. I went to the cupboard, looked at a can of smoked oysters I had, Private Label product of the Kroger chain, "Product of Korea"----Tossed them!

quote:

Originally posted by matilda
It seems to all be a matter of priority and how far one will go to support ideals.

Yup! I live in LA, and buying crawfish is a real crapshoot here unless one is very careful. I've a friend who is a crawfish farmer, and he will sell Chinese bugs in the off season if you really want them. But the key there is that he announces the source and really prefers to sell his own product whenever possible. Priority and ideals, yes, and seller integrity, too! It's all too easy to buy a cajun-sounding brand that was "packed in Louisiana"--but is a Chinese product.

Dang it. Does that mean I have to give up my canned mackerel tails from Argentina?

Adjudicator, I have to ask, do you also eat that fermented fish stuff? LOL!! Just teasing!!!
One of my favorite childhood memories is of my Grandfather introducing me to sardines and saltines while watching National Geographic and Wild Kingdom.

quote:

Originally posted by PapaJoe8

The thread about sardines got me thinking about the little smoked oysters that come in a can. I always keep some on hand. My fav way to eat em is on a saltine cracker with some sour cream and a slice of pickled jalapeno. Anyone have some other good ways to eat em?

And about the brands? They all taste about the same to me but I haven't tried all of the different brands.
Joe

I like the canned Octopus as well.

quote:

Originally posted by Brad_Olson
I've never checked the Reese boxes before but will do that next time, as I'm trying to be better about checking the country of origin.

"Product of China".
Guess I'll have to start looking for a different brand.

Brad

I bought an off brand of smoked oysters-"Brunswick" is the company name.Sure enough, product of China.Guess we will all have to keep looking...

I picked up a 3-oz. pouch of Chicken of the Sea smoked oysters last night and it was labeled product of Korea...and also cost more than the 3.75-oz. tin of CotS oysters.

Brad

quote:

Originally posted by Brad_Olson
I picked up a 3-oz. pouch of Chicken of the Sea smoked oysters last night and it was labeled product of Korea...and also cost more than the 3.75-oz. tin of CotS oysters.

Brad

I'm curious if your looking for non-China smoked oysters because of their safety practices, or because of the farm-raised fish raised in sewer water story (or both)? I won't buy frozen fish from China because of the sewer story, but I don't know if the same thing applies to the smoked oysters. Korea may not be a much better alternative, but I guess it's a little better than China.

Thank you,

Kevin

I guess I'd say it's probably because the safety practices and related stories of the past couple of months. I'm not sure if the oysters are farm-raised or not, but when I bought a can of shrimp (product of Indonesia) this past weekend I did notice that it was identified as a "wild" product.

Brad

I have to tell everyone about the best stuffing ever. I went to a friend's house for Thanksgiving last year and her son loves oyster dressing. She had bought oysters but didn't like how they tasted so used a can of smoked oysters instead in the dressing.....it was the best dressing ever. sounds horrible but everyone loved it. she had to make another pan of it for later!

I know this is a very old thread but I also love those canned smoked oysters, I havn't had any in yeras and bought some about a month ago. I jaust bought some more the other day and noticed they were from China. I have since been on a seach for some from the US and can't seem to locate any. This is how I turned up this thread anybody no of any ???

I'll check the markets where I buy the ones packed in olive oil and report which brands (if any) are not made in China.

OK, you guys made me go out and check my cans of clams that i sometimes buy for stuffed quahogs and chowder.  Snow's, which is now owned by BumbleBee, says the clams are wild caught and a product of the USA.......Phew!

i opened a can of moked musles.  they smelled so bad the cat started howling and took off running.  they looked like little cockroaches..
the can said made in china.  i pitched the whole mess.

My Dad got me hooked on those little oysters as a small kid and I still buy them to this day.  Ritz, oyster, sharp swiss cheese wedge... yum!

Your chances of finding canned smoked oysters produced in the United States are slim to none. Very few shellfish processors  are set up to do canning anymore. You can however still get freshly smoked oysters from a few growers that smoke them themselves and sell them on the internet.  Support American shellfish growers.


http://www.hamahamastore.com/smoked-oysters.html

@KonaErnie ~

That's true.  The ones I pick up in the grocery store tend to be from China.

I actually prefer the little smoked clams best.  Mussles are also good, and of course the oysters.