Here's How To Open Oysters Without Shucking Them

Shucking oysters can be dangerous business if it is not done properly. Fortunately, there is a way to open oysters without the knife. Just keep these methods to yourself and don't tell your elitist oyster friends about how you accomplished this feat, or they might give you a hard time. 

If there is anyone who can explain alternative methods for opening oysters, it's Ryan and Travis Croxton, co-owners of Rappahannock Oyster Company. The cousins are the fourth generation to own the Virginia oyster farm that their great grandfather opened in 1899. Through seasons of oyster farming, the duo has found more than one unconventional way to crack open an oyster — no oyster knife required (via Food & Wine). Best of all, each of these methods is safe and easy for beginners looking to prepare the salt-water bivalves at home.

The most hands-off method of opening oysters is actually to freeze them. Apparently, when oysters are exposed and freeze, they snap open upon thawing out again. It doesn't get much easier than that, although you might have to plan well in advance to give the oysters time to completely freeze and thaw. "The nice thing about it is, once you put them in the refrigerator, the texture will come back, and it's not going to change the flavor," says Ryan Croxton.

Oysters can also just go straight onto the grill. "If you're struggling to get into the oyster, you can just put it on the grill. It'll pop open, then you can add whatever you want to pile on to it," said Croxton.

Finally, you can microwave oysters if you really have to. To use this method, microwave about six oysters per batch on a plate covered with wax paper. Set the microwave to full power and put 55 seconds on the clock. Then let the oysters sit for another 20 seconds or so. The oysters won't be cooked, but they will be warm and easy to pop open (via A Sharp Slice).

So, the next time you want to impress a crowd with oysters but don't want to face the oyster knife, try one of these methods.