BajaNomad - Clam farming in Baja

Clam farming in Baja

Sharksbaja - 3-7-2005 at 04:30 PM

I was impressed with the middens I have seen all along the Sea of Cortez. The hunter/gatherers were a busy lot. Some places I have seen are ten or more feet deep. Sometimes in areas you would not expect them. Like up high on bluffs where they had to haul it all up just to bring the edible parts back to camp or village.
I can only imagine the wealth of sealife and the ease of collecting many types of shellfish. They were not depleting a resource mainly because they would move on to another area thereby letting the former sites rehabilitate. Whether or not this was intentional is not known. In the last 50 years, the US(and others) has done serious damage to to continental shelf by way of trawls or dragging. Here in the NW it is estimated that for an area heavily dragged will require up to 100 years to bounce back to the same as its untouched condition. It is mainly due to the cold water environment. In warmer climes the process of rejuvenation by natural repopulation is many times faster.
When discussing the loss of invertebrates in areas like Bahia de Concepcion, in all probability a lot of places could be repopulated and managed successfully. It may also be possible and feasible to farm clams and other shellfish on a sustainable level as which is done extensively in Puget Sound and in scattered operations for AK to So. Cal. I am curious as to any attempt at this in Baja. I have seen the grant allocations for some ejidos and other groups handed out. see:

http://www.greengrants.org/grantsdisplay.php?country%5B%5D=Mexico&year=2004[/url]

It could be very lucrative, especially with the more exotic sought after species.

clam farming

tehag - 3-7-2005 at 05:05 PM

Lots of sea farming in Baja. Almeja Catarina, a clam known and marketed as bay scallop, is farmed in parts of Mag Bay, at Tambabiche, and in the south end of Concepci?n. A large operation started but failed at Chuleta San Lucas near San Bruno. Commercial harvesters not affiliated with farming operations are required to set out egg settling devices and disperse the relulting larva in order to obtain a permit to exploit the resource.

Shrimp are farmed in La Paz as are callo de hacha, at least experimentaly in the case of the callo. Abalone and oysters are being grown at Punta Abre Ojos, and abalone and blue fin tuna are raised around Ensenada. There are schools offering engineering degrees in aquicultura in both Baja Norte and Sur.
Baja is probably well ahead of the international curve in introducing marine aquaculture.

Bay scallop farming in Conception Bay?

Pompano - 3-7-2005 at 05:15 PM

I would be interested to know where that is exactly? I live there and I could check it out and see how they are doing. Don't know how I could have missed it, but anything is possible, I suppose.

Bruce R Leech - 3-7-2005 at 05:34 PM

I must have missed that to Pompano.

ABULON LABORATORY

cristobal - 3-7-2005 at 05:36 PM

PUNTA EUGENIA .... 17 miles NORTH of BAHIA TORTUGAS ...has a PLANT for growing ABALONE ... just EAST of the light house. :bounce:

It used to be south of the point but for some reason they changed locations.
The PESCADOR that attends the LAB ... said that there was also one on ISLA NATIVIDAD .... :bounce:

... just 5 miles to the WEST.

ISLA CEDROS had one ...but NOT anymore ....

Bruce R Leech - 3-7-2005 at 05:57 PM

Would you have the GPS Long. and lat. for the abalone farm.

Verrrrrrrrrry Interesting......

Sharksbaja - 3-7-2005 at 06:38 PM

Tell me more. Are they marketed domestically or exported. Do the Abs go for $50 a lb like they do in Cambria. Do they ACUALLY use the larvae dispersal devices or ?

in PUNTA EUGENIA ....

cristobal - 3-7-2005 at 07:33 PM

they have several tanks .... ABALONE in several different stages of growth. :bounce:

and different kinds.
They put a FEMALE and MALE in one tank .... and with the water at the correct temperature and plenty of oxygen and food ... these LABS can be very effecient and produce many LARVAE that attach to plates hanging from wires above the tanks.
It is a LONG process that takes YEARS before the small ABALONE get released into the ocean. A diver takes a bunch out and attaches them to rocks in a good location.

It sounds like they are selling for kind of inexpensive in CAMBRIA ..... :bounce:

They go for $90.00 per pound in NEWPORT BEACH, CA..... that is .... when they are available ....

one time it came in .... at this one grocery store that I used to deliver to .... there was 5 pounds .... one guy bought the whole load .... $450.00.
In the last 10 years ... I have got 6 or 7 cans of ABULON from the fishermen .... as gifts ..... I just save them for special occasions ....
From APRIL thru JUNE .... when there is not a problem with EL NINO .... many of the fishermen have ABULON for dinner..... at least once or twice a week ... and NO one slices it thin and pounds it like they do NORTH of the border.

a long time ago

Sharksbaja - 3-7-2005 at 07:50 PM

Actually that price was wholesale a few years back. I could never afford to serve it although it's one of my favorite seafoods. Abalone farming is a difficult endeavor especially when farming. Ranching on the other hand (as you described) provides abalone with the nutrient rich environment needed. High failure rates can occur as the Abalone are very vulnerable to disease and environmental changes. The CA. ab farm had numerous problems. I understand that almost all is exported to Japan where they pay huge amounts on food. Most range in size from 2-4 in. Bambinos
Abalone may be caught by skin diving in N. Calif. and a friend who dove on them not to long ago said he saw plenty. Only seasoned divers with a good amount of experience should dive in these areas I have abalone shells from years back taken in and around the Channel Is. It was unbelievable how much was out there then.

speaking of ABALONE shells ....

cristobal - 3-7-2005 at 07:59 PM

I have a dozen ...

given to me by the kids in PUNTA EUGENIA and TORTUGAS that are .... more beautiful on the outside than on the inside ....

The kids spent some time on the buffer to clean off the crap.
They use many of them in the homes as ASH TRAYS ... :bounce:

Mexitron - 3-7-2005 at 08:55 PM

I was on a little research expedition to Isla Natividad in the 80's. They weren't growing the abs back then as far as I know but a local fisherman made us dinner one night--abalone soup, served over rice. One of the best meals in my entire life--better than pounding and frying any day.

woody with a view - 3-7-2005 at 09:28 PM

a little of topic, but anyway:

last may the son and i were driving into town from the point at juanico to re-up on some stuff and this local kid named nico came ROARING past on our neighboring campers 3 wheeler. well, he slid down the berm into my door and gouged a nice little present into my door

. boy was i peeed :fire:

, especially when he smiled and kept going.

the guy at the tienda told me to go to the cop shop, but i figured i'd give the kid a chance, since he was hangin out next door.

long story short, nico and his gringo buddies next door arrived 1 1/2 hours later with 4 shelled abs, a 10# fillet of tuna, 4 halibut (which he fileted), all in my chest covered in ice.

next morning we were on our way home-stoked!!!

it was the first time we'd ever had fresh abalone besides the fried strips 'n chips . my god, that was some good eating....

Clam soup

Sharksbaja - 3-7-2005 at 11:50 PM

I was returning from Mulege with a local who hitched a ride. He insisted we stop at one of the roadside stands in San Quintin for a cup of clam soup ala Baja. Man was that tasty with the tender large clams and avacados. Check it out!

wheres' the clams

Sharksbaja - 3-8-2005 at 01:53 AM

Who has the clams??

As some may know, I go through buckets of clams(literally) and I use them in many dishes, entrees etc. Iam stuck in a rut cause I have use primarily one type of clam extensively. Manila. They are a good tasting all around choice because they and generally small and sweet. Of course clams get more chewy and less appetizing when over cooked. Our method of steaming seafood is ideal for "steamer clams" and since we do not fry, grill or otherwise kill it with heat,our clams are ready in about 1 1/2-2 mins and tender and juicy. I have not been able to spend time tracking down or learning about the wonderful bi-valves in the Sea of Cortez.

Where could I buy them in or around Mulege if I needed some?
Especially in the Bay of Concepcion. Pompano talks about the Chocolate clams and am not even sure I have tried those. Since I can manage to get wet occasionally I will be seeking the elusive perfect ingredient, of which there are many. Hopefully my youngest son will get into it like I did and will again. I was a spearfish maniac when I was young. I never forget the awesome diving in BOC many moons ago. I see evidence of the bounty the Sea stills holds. I really think Mexico is closing in on its natural resources with a more defined approach which hopefully will lead to preservation through education and better fisheries management. Yeah, right......
ok, where are they......................the clams, remember??

Pompano, Bruce Leech will tell you about getting home late...and from my casa downstream... I can hear the music just starting in Mulege at 11:30 PM and lasting till 2:30 or 3 AM. Its ok, Iam partly nocturnal. But when it comes to fishin' I gots to get to bed early, at least by 1 or 2 AM :lol:

but my wife is suspicious... and the 'gleaning knowledge' excuse, worn out. gnite

The clams are under the sand...

Pompano - 3-8-2005 at 06:49 AM

The pictured clams are the raw chocolates - that are now ready for the grill. They are called 'choco-lah-tey eroticas' after an old Baja amigo, Johnny Tequila, who served a lot of these onboard his trimaran, Quetzal.

I know 'secret' bays full of these delectable clams, along with steamers, botejones, and hatchet scallops. I can be bribed easily with an excellent boulabaise or ciopinno recipe.

Abulone shells in the desert

Oso - 3-8-2005 at 07:53 AM

Abulone shells are highly prized by my wife's people, the Otom?. They are true desert Indians of the Mezquite Valley around Ixmiquilpan, Hidalgo, just North of Pachuca. Seafood is almost unknown to them and to this day, my wife won't eat it (I know- I keep telling her what she's missing, but it's no use.)

Periodically, they make journeys to the port of Tampico to buy the shells and haul them back to the desert. They are highly skilled artisans and they use the shells to make beautiful objects of inlaid mother-of-pearl. They are particularly known for miniature musical instruments, mostly stringed- tiny little one inch long guitars, violins, lutes, etc, complete with strings, frets, etc. They use jeweler's saws to cut tiny birds and flowers from the shells and inlay them in the backs of the instruments with a black paste that hardens and is buffed to make the mother-of-pearl designs stand out. They also do picture frames, hand mirrors, earrings and a variety of objets D'art.

abulone and shells...

Pompano - 3-8-2005 at 04:46 PM

Whow..that brings back some memories! Sitting around the cafe in Mulege we would be talking to the owner and he laments the fact he's got no abalone for dinner. We look at each other and say, 'Hell, we can fix that!' and away we'd go.

Who knew how much these great treats would be so sought after? 20 and 30 years ago we would fly to Abrejos and bring back abs (yellows) by the gunny sack from the co-op. Delicious meat and our wives and girl friends would make pretty earrings, ashtrays, buckles, etc. out of the shells. We gave away so many abs I couldn't begin to count them. I still some old relics laying around the place, along with a collection of other seashells.

Salute to the best eating around and a toast...(seeing as how it's c-cktail time)...Would that the abs could come back as strong as ever.

Oso et al

Baja Bernie - 3-8-2005 at 06:27 PM

Boy! You guys talking about abs has caused so may memories to surface in this fragile mind that I had to go to the kitchen to get a napkin?yea to wipe the drool away as I write. Early ?50?s walking out waist high in La Jolla Cove and pulling greens all day long. Cut them, scrub them with a vegetable brush, pound them and dust them lightly bread crumbs and cook them in oil. Best potato chips you could ever eat. Used to stuff ourselves on them because they were so damn good and free?we couldn?t afford hamburger but the ABS were always there and free. Little did we know.

When we started to build our home in La Salina we would stop at Raul?s Cafe?always took a two quart pot?to buy Abalone soup. Worked all weekend on our bit of paradise with only Abulon soup to nurture us as we worked?oh! Sure a little ?skunk beer?, that was Corona back then.

Fourteen inch Abulon shells?still have a few smaller ones here at home. taken off the rocks, a secret place where a few still reside.

The best food that that guy up there ever invented. And we all thought it would last forever. Sadly, we were wrong. A lot of this in Baja was caused by guys like mi amigo Kio?he would harvest abalone the size of silver dollars to use in his FANTASTIC 7 Seas Soup. I would cry and cuss him when I saw these baby abalone shells laying about outside his casita.

Last Abulon Dinner was at the Cava de Tigre south of Ensenada.---Good, but they stretched it with crab meat and more breading.

Last time I checked here in San Diego a pound was well over a hundred bucks WHEN you could find it.

Clams?PLEASE how can you utter their names in conjunction with Abulon.

Closest thing to Abalone is Conch-but a little to sweet.

Tasty treasures

Sharksbaja - 3-8-2005 at 06:46 PM

Thanx Pompano, I'll be there in a couple weeks. Abs are great eating. I have tried many types and I must say that giant pinks are my choice(very tender). Taken in deep 70 ft water... Hey, Mt St. Helens just blew a load .... what about that ab lab, have you been out there lately do they still grow.. I had some small pinks and some greens from Baja but long ago. I remember the shells were very clean on the outside too. I am sure I have some shells in the shop from Mex. But my all time favorite abs are my wifes.

Pompano

Ken Bondy - 3-8-2005 at 06:47 PM

In the photo you posted the shell on the right is a chambered nautilus. I am extremely interested to know if that came from the Sea of Cortez?? Thanks,
++Ken++
PS Here's a live one from Papua New Guinea

Tasty treasures

Sharksbaja - 3-8-2005 at 06:50 PM

Thanx Pompano, I'll be there in a couple weeks. Abs are great eating. I have tried many types and I must say that giant pinks are my choice(very tender). Taken in deep 70 ft water... Hey, Mt St. Helens just blew a load ....must be the heat wave... what about that ab lab, have you been out there lately do they still grow.. I had some small pinks and some greens from Baja but long ago. I remember the shells were very clean on the outside too. I am sure I have some shells in the shop from Mex. But my all time favorite abs are my wifes.

for Ken Bondy..

Pompano - 3-9-2005 at 11:16 AM

Ken, the chambered nautilus in my photo on the pool table is not from Baja...at least not that one. I just happened to pull if off a shelf to show some comparison with the Baja abulone shell and 8-ball. We probably got that along with others at a shell shop on the Oregon Coast. We buy a bin or two of variable types there and scatter them on our housefront beach for the kiddies to find.

I don't think those nautilus are found here, but I could be wrong. Years ago, we would go out with the big shrimp boats all night long and collected many beautiful shells that were dredged up in thier nets...before we knew what harm they were doing to the seafloor ecology.
I have some gigantic shells here that were brought up from a good depth..many 'repollos'...that look indeed like a head of cabbage!

Surfballs

Sharksbaja - 3-9-2005 at 11:47 AM

No, not surfers balls.....While living on Catalina a researcher nabbed two or three Nautilus' in a (very)deep water trawl. Not even supposed to be here but then again, not to long ago during a 'El Nino' a Dorado and a Marlin were caught off our coast in Oregon. These swimming creatures can decend to over a thousand feet. They are normally found off the coast in deep water in the So. Pacific. They are related to squid & octopus and are in danger of overharvest.
It is strange.... but we here in Oregon don't see a lot of sea shells on the beach..... they import them in order to sell em to folks like Pampano and myself. Anyone know what surf-balls are?

Balls

Sharksbaja - 3-9-2005 at 12:01 PM

Not even close.....not animals......

Sharksbaja - 3-9-2005 at 12:02 PM

If we get pufferfish washing up on the beaches I won't have to go to Baja. Its coming to us..... it was 72 degrees here yesterday.

azusa_bob - 3-9-2005 at 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sharksbaja
I was impressed with the middens I have seen all along the Sea of Cortez. The hunter/gatherers were a busy lot. Some places I have seen are ten or more feet deep. Sometimes in areas you would not expect them. Like up high on bluffs where they had to haul it all up just to bring the edible parts back to camp or village.
I can only imagine the wealth of sealife and the ease of collecting many types of shellfish. They were not depleting a resource mainly because they would move on to another area thereby letting the former sites rehabilitate. Whether or not this was intentional is not known. In the last 50 years, the US(and others) has done serious damage to to continental shelf by way of trawls or dragging. Here in the NW it is estimated that for an area heavily dragged will require up to 100 years to bounce back to the same as its untouched condition. It is mainly due to the cold water environment. In warmer climes the process of rejuvenation by natural repopulation is many times faster.
When discussing the loss of invertebrates in areas like Bahia de Concepcion, in all probability a lot of places could be repopulated and managed successfully. It may also be possible and feasible to farm clams and other shellfish on a sustainable level as which is done extensively in Puget Sound and in scattered operations for AK to So. Cal. I am curious as to any attempt at this in Baja. I have seen the grant allocations for some ejidos and other groups handed out. see:

http://www.greengrants.org/grantsdisplay.php?country%5B%5D=Mexico&year=2004[/url]

It could be very lucrative, especially with the more exotic sought after species.

I prefer the bearded variety!! :lol:

:moon::moon:

Pompano

Ken Bondy - 3-9-2005 at 05:44 PM

Thanks! It would have been quite a scientific find if a nautilus was discovered in the Sea of Cortez. To my knowledge they are found in very deep water (800fsw) in the Indo Pacific. I have been on dive boats in Papua New Guinea when they drop a baited trap down to 800 ft overnight and pull it up in the morning with 2-3 nautilus inside. The photographers play with them for a while and then they head back down to the depths. They appear to be unaffected by even drastic changes in pressure. Amazing prehistoric animals. Thanks again,
++Ken++

nautilus

comitan - 3-9-2005 at 06:23 PM

We find Nautilus shells on the magote outside of La Paz every winter after heavy winds out of the north. They range in size from 1in to 4-5 in. they are very fragile its difficult to find one not damaged.

Comitan

Ken Bondy - 3-9-2005 at 09:55 PM

That would be a spectacular find if the shells you found are truly nautilus pomilius, the chambered nautilus. The Monterey Bay Aquarium site describes their range as:

"along deep slopes of coral reefs from the Philippines south through Indonesia to Australia and eastward to the Fiji Islands"

If you have an interest in this type of thing, you should take some of the shells to a marine scientist in La Paz and have them positively identified. Thanks for the input,

++Ken++

Clam farming in Baja

The squarecircle - 3-9-2005 at 11:13 PM

Greetings all; >>> Couple of years ago, I visited a clam farming operation on the Pacific about 8 miles west of San Quintin. Most certainly liked the price of 1 dollar per dozen of large delicious clams. The clam herders shucked them and provided the salsa and you had to use your own plate and fork. I've never had any fresher and so good that I ate 3 dollars worth! Wonder if the farm is still there. Best wishes, >>>sq.

Clam ranch/farm

Sharksbaja - 3-9-2005 at 11:33 PM

I haven't heard tell of that "farm" fer talkin about. I didn't realize you could go 8 mi west of San Quintin. Last time we headed out to the beach we got evryones 4x4 stuck up to the axles in the salt flat behind the dunes...... the clams are great in San Quintin. We use to find them just laying on the beach at low tide.

David K - 3-10-2005 at 01:26 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sharksbaja
I haven't heard tell of that "farm" fer talkin about. I didn't realize you could go 8 mi west of San Quintin. Last time we headed out to the beach we got evryones 4x4 stuck up to the axles in the salt flat behind the dunes...... the clams are great in San Quintin. We use to find them just laying on the beach at low tide.

The town of San Quintin on Hwy. 1 is about 6 straight miles to the Pacific, so via dirt road perhaps longer... or if the farm is slighly south on the San Quintin peninsula, even more...?

Regardless of the miles, squarecircle's description sounds great! Yummy!

CLAM FARM!!!!!!!!

The squarecircle - 3-10-2005 at 02:23 AM

Greetings >>> The sq. made big mistake on last comm. That is an oyster farm not a clam farm west of San Quintin. Said farm was/is Mexican government supported as an experimental attempt to cultivate these marine bivalve mollusks. I really did eat 3 dozen of these tasty mocos and would like to do it again. My tongue gets hard just thinking of how absolutely fantastic they taste! Yes, you can drive out there without getting stuck if you have a Toyota. Happy dreams. ...sq.

K.Bonde

comitan - 3-10-2005 at 08:37 AM

I don't know what the tecnical description is we call them paper nautilus its nothing new or unknown many people go out and look for them every winter.

I have a collection of paper Nautilus

jrbaja - 3-10-2005 at 11:08 AM

that were found on some beaches down here. The largest is about 7" across the opening of the shell.

Oyster Farm @ SQ

White Angel - 3-10-2005 at 11:42 AM

A couple of years ago, we had a feast out at the oyster farm by San Quintin! A fellow rowed out to fetch them from a submerged "keeper". They were outstanding and very inexpensive. If there was a problem, it was that the oysters were TOO big and plump! Could only manage to eat a half dozen or so. The odd part to us was that there were none availible at the Old Mill when we tried to order them for supper. They would have been perfect if fried!!

oyster farm

Sharksbaja - 3-10-2005 at 11:47 AM

I recently sampled some San Quintin oysters and I must admit.....not bad. A little on the large size. Anyone know there method of growing? Are they raised on the seafloor or are they seeded on ropes and grown in the water column?

shell middens and abalone

Barry A. - 3-10-2005 at 11:59 AM

Sharksbaja------

I too have wondered about those huge clamshell piles along the coast of the Sea of Cortez-----considering that the indigenous peoples were living along that coast for 1000's of years, it seems very reasonable to me that they knew/learned the art and science of rotational harvesting, if for no other reason than by trial and error, and survival. This storehouse of knowledge is probably lost, possibly never to be recovered. Just my speculation.

Baja Bernie-----

I too used to harvest Abalone off La Jolla in waist deep water in the early/mid 50's. They were everywhere, and people used to line up along the cliffs to watch us, undoubtably thinking we were nuts. We also made regular trips to the beaches south of Tiajuana harvesting Abalone---never more than we needed for our own use, and to give to friends. Great times!!!!
Barry

San Quintin Oysters

White Angel - 3-10-2005 at 02:20 PM

As I mentioned; it's been a couple of years and I've visited several oyster and mussel "farming" ventures; but I'm pretty sure the SQ oysters were seeded onto ropes. The sample we had that day were taken from a submerged wooden keeper though. However grown; they had been previously harvested. Living in New England and being from old Yankee fishing stock; I'm a bit of a fish snob; but these were good. Just over-sized.

Oso - 3-10-2005 at 05:36 PM

A chunk of years ago, I worked for the Morro Bay Oyster Co. (run by Mormons who didn't drink or smoke or use caffeine or chew gum or whatever. All they did was eat oysters and make babies.) Many of those oysters were "large" in comparison to East Coast oysters. I prefer them that way, especially roasted on grill in the shell- when they open, hit 'em with a pat of butter and a shot of Tabasco or Texas Pete. I love oysters but have been very dissapointed with tiny sized ones many times. The worst was a couple years ago at a "famous" seafood place on River Walk in San Antonio. They only had fried oysters. They were the size of a pinky nail and so crisp they might as well have been fried croutons. I couldn't tell the difference and could not even detect a flavor of oyster. I say hooray for big'uns.

BTW, there we used recycled shells as the medium for the seedlings. The mudflats and tides made for a natural cycle. I'd take the skiff out at low tide with a bunch of teenage workers who would slog through the mud harvesting oysters in small baskets and emptying them into great big baskets with marker buoys attached. At high tide, I'd take the barge with crane, drop off empty big baskets and pick up the full ones. Then it was back to the dock to offload. Then shuck. I was never as good at that as the guys who specialized in the shucking. My wife worked inside, sizing, sorting and filling jars with selects, etc. I enjoyed the hell out of this hard work and had great respect for the Johnson family. Working a constantly shifting schedule based on tides rather than clocks was a strange and somehow enlightening experience. Unfortunately, we could not continue. We were paid minimum wage. That might not have been so bad, but even then, in the mid 70's , there was absolutely no place in Morro Bay that we could possibly afford to rent and the commute from Grover City was just too long. It saddened me to bid adieu to the Johnsons, they were good people. It was sadder still to leave working in the natural world and go back to cubicles, fluorescent lighting and bureaucratic politics. But, you play the cards you're dealt.

San Quintin Oysters

The squarecircle - 3-10-2005 at 07:47 PM

IMHO >>>> A cooked oyster is a ruined oyster >>>> sq.

Oso, I have some questions

Gypsy Jan - 3-10-2005 at 08:09 PM

regarding the Mormons at the Morro Bay Oyster Company.

1. Which came first, the oysters or the babies? :?:

2. IYHO, does not indulging in smoking, drinking or chewing gum produce more oysters or more babies or none of the foregoing? :?:

3. IYHO, does indulging in smoking and/or drinking and/or chewing gum produce more oysters or more babies? :?:

Must stop now, too many permutations to consider, head is dizzy and don't even get me started on the original title of the post. May go and imbibe. :lol:

[Edited on 3-11-2005 by Gypsy Jan]

Oso - 3-11-2005 at 08:08 AM

Gitana, I think maybe they were just too busy making babies to have time for smoking and drinking.. . Also, the age-old aphrodisiacal connection to oysters may be only psychological, but often that's all it takes.

Also, I'd agree that raw on the half shell is best, but when one has abused one's liver for decades one needs to be careful... And, the small ones slip down the gullet better, but when the oyster is the size of your palm, cooking may not be such a bad idea. I miss the old style oyster bars of Carolina, wherein one would sit on a barstool and dip hot steamed ones into drawn butter while an attendant shucked them at a pace to match one's eating, thus insuring that every bite was at it's peak temperature.

Oyster Bar

Sharksbaja - 3-11-2005 at 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Oso
I miss the old style oyster bars of Carolina, wherein one would sit on a barstool and dip hot steamed ones into drawn butter while an attendant shucked them at a pace to match one's eating, thus insuring that every bite was at it's peak temperature.

What you need to do is travel up (or down) the Oregon Coast. Stop in Newport and belly up to our seafood bar(changed the name from oyster bar) and sample some of the NW finest oysters,clams or maybe Dungeness Crab. Fresh, local(i know everyone says that) seafood that will not be forgotten soon.
Sharks Seafood Bar & Steamer Co.

Oso - 3-12-2005 at 06:29 PM

Shark, I may take you up on that one of these 120 degree Yuma summers. Haven't been to the rainforest since Portland '68. Got Razor Clams?

Warm water oysters

DanO - 3-12-2005 at 07:51 PM

For a long time I was under the misapprehension that you weren't supposed to eat oysters from warm waters. I got disabused of this on a trip to Troncones Beach, a bit north of Zihuatenejo. A local recommended a place in a village up the road a bit -- really just a palapa and resin chairs -- and said we had to order the oysters. A little girl, 10 maybe, took our order for a dozen and she yelled it out to her father, who went out to the rocky point in front of the place, harvested the oysters, and shucked them with a machete. Hot sauce, limes and cold cervezas on the side. Incredible. We had another dozen and then went back to the inn for a "nap."

By the way, I left a really big tip.

synch - 3-13-2005 at 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sharksbaja
Actually that price was wholesale a few years back. I could never afford to serve it although it's one of my favorite seafoods. Abalone farming is a difficult endeavor especially when farming. Ranching on the other hand (as you described) provides abalone with the nutrient rich environment needed. High failure rates can occur as the Abalone are very vulnerable to disease and environmental changes. The CA. ab farm had numerous problems. I understand that almost all is exported to Japan where they pay huge amounts on food. Most range in size from 2-4 in. Bambinos
Abalone may be caught by skin diving in N. Calif. and a friend who dove on them not to long ago said he saw plenty. Only seasoned divers with a good amount of experience should dive in these areas I have abalone shells from years back taken in and around the Channel Is. It was unbelievable how much was out there then.

Abalone farming at US Abalone website

I've been snorkeling for abalone in Mendocino County, N of the Golden Gate bridge about 2 hrs and it is filled with Red Abalone and not that difficult to find on the rocks. The Red Abalone are the largest and the ones people take.

synch - 3-13-2005 at 03:13 PM

Farm raised Abalone, $30 per pound CLICK HERE

Dont be fooled

Sharksbaja - 3-13-2005 at 03:58 PM

2.6 oz apiece with the shell and guts.
probably less than an ounce of meat per Abalone.
8 oz portion would equal 8 abs.
your cost for a one meal serving without anything else. $40-50.
Abalone shrinks quite a bit also.
In a restaurant you would mark it up a min of 100%. Hope you can sell it at those prices. Maybe in Cabo.

oh, don't forget that expensive shipping charge!

[Edited on 3-13-2005 by Sharksbaja]

terrybird - 3-13-2005 at 04:40 PM

Hope this post doesn't snap all you dreamers back to reality but we just made the trip south of Rosarito and the (tour guide, ok snicker) pointed out these tuna farms.I believe he said this was a Japanese venture?

[Edited on 02/06/2005 by terrybird]

Don't think so

DanO - 3-15-2005 at 03:27 PM

There's a couple of these pens off Pto. Santo Tomas as well. I believe the company that pioneered this in Baja is a Mexican company (Maricultura something or other?), run by a Mexican citizen under a government concession. I'm told that the local fishermens' coop gets something out of it for effectively ceding part of their fishing grounds to this operation (and refraining from helping themselves to those fat juicy bluefins, mmmmmmm). Most of the catch is flown to Japan because of the insane prices paid for fish over there.

We'll be lookin.....

Sharksbaja - 3-16-2005 at 01:02 AM

for almejas y ostraones(clams & oysters) next week when heading south. We want to find the tender morsels from San Quintin to BOC. Any favorite clam/oyster stops (beaches or eateries)you know of would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Sharks

San Quintin Ostiones Farm

Bedman - 3-16-2005 at 02:00 AM

Sharks,
Ostiones, I think thats how they spelled it. Either way the oyster farm is West of San Quintin about 10 or 12 miles. As you enter SQ you'll see the military base on the West side of the street. Hang a Right (West) at the end of it and stay on that road. It will take you past El Pedregal (a small sign posted) and then about 2 or 3 miles further. You'll crest on a small hill and see the bay at the bottom. The Oyster farm is right there. Big Oysters. Fresh, Juicy, MMmmm...

Shellfish

Price - 3-16-2005 at 02:07 AM

Anyone know what kind of shellfish can be found in San Felipe ? When we move to SF we plan to write a cookbook using mainly local ingredients - we want to do it for our grand-daughter who is 4 and shows an interest in cooking - if our new friends like it we will have copies made for them - MERRY CHRISTMAS !!! :lol: