Some say oysters are like the snot of the ocean. You either love them or hate them. Personally, I love them. They are sweet, salty, and unique. Unfortunately, I don’t have great access to fresh oysters so we don’t have them that often. Occasionally I treat myself and order some in. I like to have a few fresh, but usually, smoke and preserve the rest. My wife is not a huge fan of fresh oysters, but she can’t get enough of them when they are smoked! Smoking oysters completely changes the taste and most importantly the texture. It transforms the oyster from being slimy and ‘weird’ to a more delicious texture and beautiful flavor. Read on to learn how to do it yourself! smoked oyster recipes A Plate of My Home Smoked Oysters (no canned stuff here!) How Long Do you Smoke Oysters in the Shell? To smoke oysters in their shell simply place your oysters in your grill or smoker preheated to 225°F and smoke until tender and no longer slimy. This should take around 35 minutes – 50 minutes. Smoking oysters in the shell does take longer than shucking completely and gives the oysters a more faint smoke flavor. I set up my grill to smoke with either the charcoal snake method or a little wood chip smoker insert to smoke with my gas grill Arrange my shucked oysters on a wire rack of my grill Note: When smoking oysters in the shell, ensure you shuck the oyster and remove the top shell. The shell is too thick to grill completely closed. What Temperature Do You Smoke Oysters At? If you are using a gas, electric, charcoal, or pellet smoker you want to maintain a steady temperature of 225°F to smoke oysters. Set up my grill to smoke and now placed my oysters on the wire grill. How Good are Smoked Oysters For You? Oysters are an excellent source of copper, iron, protein, vitamin D & zinc. They also contain high levels of phosphorus, niacin, riboflavin, and Vitamin C. They are also rich in antioxidants and a great source of omega-3 fatty acids and healthy cholesterol. What Sort of Wood Should You Use to Smoke Oysters? When smoking oysters you don’t want to use strong wood. For this recipe, I am using a combination of alder and cherry wood. These woods will not overpower the flavor of the oyster.