The Working Man’s Oyster

Oysters were a staple food in early America. The Working Man’s Oyster tells how folks from all walks of life used them and prepared them. Oysters continued to rise in popularity through the 19th century.

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[jeromethiel]

Fun fact, you can use oyster shells to make cement. Or, you can use crushed oyster shells as aggregate in concrete. The ancient Romans used oyster shells to make cement, and some of that cement is still around today!

[craigrobbins]

Yep, my understanding is that until trains were around, oysters were a coastal food only. I'm not Indiana, but close enough to it that my only experience with oysters is tinned. The meal seems tasty but then again, it's 90% butter.

[jasonflay]

Archaeologist here and I did an archaeological excavation in downtown Lexington, KY 3 years ago. Because of the role Lexington played in the development of the railroads we would find what was considered high dollar goods at some of the sites including oyster shells. We found a few locations that had refuse from resturants catering to the folks coming in on the train.Oysters would be caught, put in barrels of salt water, alive, and shipped inland to be served to wealthy patrons. Unfortunately because of the city and the short sightedness of city officials a lot of valuable information about the early days of Lexington's development has been destroyed because of large projects like the new Rupp Arena were pushed through with NO archaeology completed, but we are fortunate to preserve at least a few slivers of the past to help understand how the city functioned as it grew.

[Hellfrolic]

When I was a kid in fla (1970s) we would harvest our own oysters and clams, and eat them right off a giant grill at my grandaddy's hunting camp. He would also cook swamp cabbage. So good.

[richardcorwin]

When I was a boy we used to get cherry clams of the beaches on the York River and my mother would make clam stew. A good memory to be sure. Thank you.

[havanaradio]

Haha that bandaid tells a story... Shuckin ain't easy kid!

[russrandall]

The maryland statehouse was made with oyster moater. I remember the beach parking g lot as a kid being paved with crushed oyster shells in the 80s. They would cut up bare feet in a flash. But they were cheaper than blacktop and stones according to my neighbor.

[cassieoz]

They were considered poor folks' food in England too. There were dock workers who rebelled because that's all they were ever fed. I remember as a girl, my Nana's cook books often said to add oysters to steak'n kidney pudding, as a way of padding out more expensive beef.

[oxvendivil]

Just had oysters yesterday here in the Philippines, it had risotto underneath in the shell, baked, downed with craft beer! a Chinese dry pickled plum/apricot sour beer and a hazy IPA! lovely!

[merk]

My favorite holiday dressing for turkey is oyster stuffing with oysters in seasoned bread crumbs. Delicious!

[milosterwheeler]

There was once a Fish & Chips place nearby that battered and deep-fried oysters. Man, were they good. Wish they were still around.

[smtpgirl]

Born, raised and lived in Maryland. There are roads that are fully comprised of oyster shells. Whether the Bay or the Ocean, these roads exist. Sadly, I'm not an oyster fan, but my family is.

[gordensimmons]

An old school can opener is a good tool to open an oyster without cutting yourself, the pointy type that makes the triangle hole, not used much anymore.

[immrtalitypassin]

Those historcal findings sure do say a lot about the health of our oceans then vs now, sigh. Also- this is a really sweet video. Ryan, I'm a born & raised coastal New Yorker, yet I've only had oysters twice despite knowing how incredibly nutrient dense they are. And I appreciate the oyster shucking tutorial, as I've never done it myself either. 🙂

[jimsonjohnson]

Oysters, due to pre industrialization water quality, were so prevalent in American brackish and saltwater regions that the floor of the water itself was completely covered in healthy oysters. Now many of these areas, like the Chesapeake Bay are heavily polluted killing much of the shallow water Oyster habitats.

[Lord.Kiltridge]

I was raised in the greater Toronto area and oysters are _very_ exotic to me. I'm mad about them. Raw with lemon juice and Tabasco paired with ice cold beer is heaven in the hand. My mom used to add a can of oysters and butter to cream of celery soup. I haven't had that in years.

[corymorrison]

Oyster shells can also be burned and then crushed to make a great slow release crop fertilizer!

[CMMC-zbgw]

I really enjoy your videos. They are calming, well put together, and informative. I look forward to sipping coffee on Sunday morning and watching them every week.

[brianartillery]

Always good to see Ryan. One of the best presenters on the whole of YouTube. Fact. 👍👍👍
People have been eating oysters forever - the prehistoric settlement of Skara Brae, on Orkney, had vast rubbish middens, which were largely composed of Oyster shells.

[nukembear]

I believe the first paved roads in America were paved with crushed oyster shells!