Oysters, just like any other fresh seafood, are highly perishable and require proper packing before shipping to ensure that they arrive fresh and safe for consumption. Oysters are best shipped frozen and packed with dry ice to prevent them from turning bad during the shipping process.
Here are some tips on how to properly pack and ship fresh oysters.
Only ship oysters that have fresh, fishy smell and tightly closed shells. This means that the oysters are still alive. If the shells are open, they should close if you tap on them. Including one bad oyster in a batch can ruin the others.Freeze the oysters completely before packing them loosely in a zip lock bags.
Place the bags of frozen oysters in a Styrofoam cooler.
Make sure that there are ventilation holes in the cooler so the dry ice won’t create pressure inside the cooler as it turns from solid to gas.
Wrap the dry ice in a few layers of newspaper and place on top of the oysters.
Make sure not to let the dry ice come in direct contact with any food item you are shipping. The amount of dry ice you’ll need depends on the weight of the oysters you will ship and the length of time it will need for the package to reach its destination.
Close the cooler and place it inside a slightly larger shipping box.
Fill empty spaces with bubble wrap or crumpled packing paper to avoid shifting.
Close the shipping box and seal with packing tape.
Address and label the package with “Perishable.” Also place a label on the side of the package indicating that it contains dry ice.
Take the package to your shipping company and send it using an overnight service.
Don’t ship oysters or any perishable item during weekends or holidays to avoid shipping delays.
Let the recipients know of the incoming package and advise them to unpack the oysters and immediately refrigerate or freeze them upon receipt.