An oyster knife and a thick kitchen towel or pot holder are essential pieces of equipment for shucking oysters.

Keep oysters refrigerated until ready to shuck as they will open more readily when they are cold.

Scrub shells clean under cold running water. Discard any oysters that are not tightly closed.

Hold oyster, flat side up, with a folded towel. Place tip of oyster knife near hinge at pointed end of the shell. Twist and push the knife to bore into shell until it pops open. If shell crumbles, move the knife a little further along the side of the shell and try again. Brush off any crumbled bits of shell.

Using a sharp knife, carefully loosen oyster meat from top and bottom shell.