Oysters whose shells have opened have died in storage. Discard them. You may have heard about "purging" oysters to get rid of sand. Fortunately, most shellfish is purged ahead of time so you don't have to worry about doing it yourself.
Step 3: Plunge the oysters into the saltwater bath and refrigerate them for 1 hour. The oysters will filter the cold water, purging any sand they may have in the process.
Before you're ready to eat, let your oysters sit in a small bowl of icy water for 10 or so minutes. You'll notice sand and other debris will fall to the bottom of the water. Remove the oysters and discard the water.
Give Them a Good Scrubbing
At some point before shucking, you will need to give the oysters a scrub-down to remove any dirt, mud, sand, shell fragments, or other crud that you don't want to end up slurping down. I like to get that cleaning step out of the way as soon as I get the oysters home.
Once the oyster is open you must remember to loosen the oyster from its shell so that slurping is made easy. And DO NOT under any circumstance dump out the liquid in the shell. This is called oyster liquor and gives it that fresh-from-the-ocean flavor.
Storing shucked oysters: You can store shucked raw oysters in the fridge for four to five days. Place shucked oysters in an airtight container or a bowl covered with cling film. Shucked oysters prefer colder storage, so set your fridge's temperature between thirty-four and thirty-five degrees Fahrenheit if possible.
Let fresh shucked raw oysters drain in a colander until ready for use. Cook 1/4 lb. good quality bacon, let it get crisp but careful to not burn. Place cooked bacon on paper towels to drain and cool.
Cooked Oysters
So to once again answer the question, yes, oysters are alive when eaten immediately after being shucked.
Discard any that are open or appear to have lost their water. Clean the shells before shucking in order to avoid getting grit in the oyster and having to wash the meat (you lose the juices when you wash them!).
Lemon juice on an oyster is an easy way to enhance its natural briny flavor. Think of this as the purist's version of an oyster sauce. Just a dash of lemon juice lets you appreciate all of the oyster's flavors by complementing and enhancing them.
If the shell remains shut after cooking, he says, “the muscle that holds the shell together is working. It's alive. Or if an oyster, clam or mussel doesn't open when it's cooked, sometimes it's dead — killed in the cooking process — but the muscle is just so joined to the shell that it's not letting go.”
We've found an easy way to eliminate the smell: Soak the fish or the shellfish meat in milk for 20 minutes and then drain and pat dry. The casein in milk binds to the TMA, and when drained away, it takes the culprit that causes fishy odor with it. The result is seafood that's sweet smelling and clean-flavored.
Shelf Life: A live oyster is good to eat. When properly cared for live oysters will live in your refrigerator for 10 to 21 days.
Oysters will die if they sit in fresh water. You can keep them on a tray of ice for an hour or so but avoid letting them sit in a puddle of fresh water.
Once they come out of cold storage, the clock starts on you getting them back into cold storage. You have a max of two hours to accomplish this. After two hours, bacteria present in the oyster will start to multiply and the likelihood of something causing an illness will go up.
To maintain their freshness, wrap the Oysters in a damp tea towel or cloth and place in the fridge, closest to the freezer. Whatever you do, do not store Oysters in a sealed container; or on ice; or in water; or in the freezer.
Shuck your oysters and put them on a grill heated to 450 degrees, either on a baking sheet or shell side down on the grate. Top each oyster with a pat of butter and a sprinkle of chopped herbs (parsley, tarragon, chives, or even cilantro), then close the grill or cover with tin foil.
Lay the oysters with the deep side down on the ice and make sure the ice doesn't melt. Oysters stored this way will last about two days.
Chew, chew, chew
"An oyster is meant to be savored. Rather than swallowing whole, I recommend biting into the oyster so the full flavor profile can be experienced. Also, when consuming an oyster in the shell, remember the 'oyster liquor' is there to be enjoyed.
If you are cooking or using oysters in a recipe, and don't want to shuck them open, steam them just until they open and scrape them out of the shell. When cooked their shells pop open; discard those that do not open after cooking.
Steamed oysters
Scrub oysters to remove any grit; rinse well under cold, running water. (Note: You can let them sit on a tray of ice for an hour or so but do not let them sit in water or they will perish.) Discard any oysters that have opened or have broken shells.
Many people who eat raw oysters garnish them with lemon juice, cocktail sauce, or a Champagne mignonette sauce as a companion condiment. However, oysters can also be fried, baked, steamed, or stewed.
Do not induce vomiting. Help the person stay well-hydrated. Encourage the person to drink frequent sips of clear fluids. IV fluids may be necessary if nausea and vomiting cannot be controlled.