Rich in Flavor, Clean in Taste
The Northwests Sweetest Oysters
Our Unique Growing Environment
It’s widely known in oyster circles that location plays the key role in the cultivation of exquisite-tasting oysters - and there’s no better place on earth for farming oysters than the triangle formed by the two southern jetties at Winchester Bay, Oregon.
Here, fresh clean Oregon rainwater blends with cool crisp saltwater in just the right proportion - 20%/80% - at just the right temperature - 51 degrees F - in our protected growing area. That’s important because when oysters get too warm, they spawn. Spawning oysters develop an unappetizing, slightly grainy texture. Under our consistently cool growing conditions, Umpqua Triangle Oysters never spawn; they produce clean, firm, slightly salty-tasting oyster meat year-round.
Suspension is the Key
Our innovative long-line technique of growing oysters is another factor that gives Umpqua Triangle Oyster’s their clean sweet taste. After cultivating oysters from seed and allowing time for the baby oysters, or spat, to attach themselves to recycled oyster shells, (see Growing Oysters from Seed ), we insert the shells, now carrying from 15-20 young oysters each, at intervals between the cords of a 15- foot length of rope to form long curtains. These oyster curtains, containing nearly two miles of hanging oysters, are suspended in the Triangle, where they bob up and down with the tide over the course of the next 2 to 4 years.Suspension prevents Umpqua Triangle Oysters from ever coming in contact with the muck at the bottom of the bay. Oysters that are traditionally grown in beds are exposed both to air at low tide and to mucky sediment when submerged. Adult oysters pump seven or more gallons of water through their systems each day, which means bedded oysters are getting lots of sediment in their diet that can give them a very pungent taste. Umpqua Triangle Oyster curtains are continually suspended in clean cool water, producing clean and firm pearlescent oyster meat. Their flavor is consistently outstanding year-round, as well as year after year.Nothing affects the flavor and color of an oyster more than its habitat. With our unique placement in the Triangle and use of suspended long lines, Umpqua Aquaculture is producing the cleanest and sweetest oysters in the Pacific Northwest.Growing Oysters from Seed
Growing delicious oysters is a process that takes up to four years. It starts with a few million fresh oyster seeds. We get our seed, or larvae, from a hatchery further up the Oregon Coast when the larvae are only two weeks old. They’re delivered to Umpqua Triangle Oysters overnight and maintained at a temperature of about 40 degrees F, which keeps them dormant during the trip.
The seed arrives in a lump about the size of a golf ball, which is divided among three large containers maintained at our processing plant, and dispersed in buckets of cold water. Warmer water is then incrementally added to reanimate the seeds and bring them up to the proper incubation temperature of 80 degrees F.
The food-grade tanks are filled with warmed incubation water from the Umpqua Estuary at high tide, rich in algae and phytoplankton. The tanks, into which the new seed is added, contain nets filled with empty recycled oyster shells.
For about two days, the seeds swim freely, then permanently attach themselves to the shells with an adhesive they excrete. After the young oysters are attached, the temperature of the incubation tanks is gradually lowered to match the temperature of the bay. The young oysters, now called spat, are moved in their nets to the triangular breakwater to grow. After a couple of months, the shells filled with baby oysters are attached to long lines and suspended for longer-term growth in the Triangle.
After the oysters have grown for at least two years for the smaller sizes and up to four years for the larger, they’re ready for harvest. We use a custom-made barge with a motorized boom to raise the oyster lines, now weighing about 150 lbs. each. The oysters are cut free from the float line, placed in totes, and hauled back to the plant, where they’re tracked by number for quality control and processed for shell-stock or shucking.
Oysters are for Lovers
People who love oysters love life. They savor the wondrous sights, sounds, fragrances, and flavors of all nature’s bounty. Although oysters can be an acquired taste for some, they’re ambrosia to others. The Greeks envisioned their goddess of love, Aphrodite, springing forth from the sea on an oyster shell and giving birth to Eros, from which the word "aphrodisiac" was born.
Oysters are said to have been revered by the Roman emperors who paid for them by their weight in gold and sent thousands of slaves to the shores of the English Channel to gather them. Casanova is reported to have eaten 50 oysters a day while taking his morning bath, and one can only imagine their importance to Anthony and Cleopatra. It’s also been written that a person without a taste for oysters may well be without a soul.
For those who are health-conscious, oysters are not only delicious but one of the most nutritionally well-balanced foods, containing protein, carbohydrates, and lipids. They’re high in omega-3 fatty acids and low in cholesterol. Oysters are an excellent source of vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C, and D. They have high mineral content including iron, copper, iodine, magnesium, calcium, zinc, manganese, and phosphorus.
Our Farm Store
Umpqua Triangle oysters are only available at our farm store in Winchester Bay. Come for a visit and take away some of our delicious oysters to grill at your campsite, or to prepare in your home kitchen. While here, you can pick up a new sauce from our huge selection of condiments, and a bottle of local wines or beer to embellish your gourmet oyster treat.
Our oysters are in high demand, so it is not unusual for us to sell out of specific sizes, but if you can be flexible, you will soon learn that every size is equally tasty. After all, they all grow together, side by side on their oyster curtains. It is recommended if you intend to buy a large quantity of oysters, in bushel bags, or absolutely need a specific size, call in an order a few days ahead of your visit, and we will be happy to get them ready for you. (541) 271-5684 Come for a visit and see how we do it through our viewing windows, or you can watch our video here.
STORE HOURS
Thursday - Monday
9am - 5pm