Oysters and boiled peanuts...

[Tator Chip]

Some friends I'll be seeing in late July have put in their order for a couple of "must haves" when we get together. I don't eat raw oysters but they do. Is July a good or bad time of year to buy them and where in the area can I get some really good ones for them to shuck? How about boiled green peanuts? They don't want cajun style, just the boiled ones and plenty of them. Those I can stomach with a cold beer. Any suggestions? Last time I stopped up in Freeport at a roadside vendor by the anchor. Any other places sell them near 30-A?

 

[Hop]

July is not so great for oysters...water is too warm. Boiled p-nuts are always good though! If you can't find them on the way, just pick up a couple bags of raw (green) peanuts at the grocery....put them in a BIG pot, put a cup or two of salt...and let them boil for 5-6 hours and you'll have more p-nuts than you can eat!

 

[seagrovegirl]

Believe it or not, you can get both, year round at a stand at hwy 90 and 331 in DeFuniak Springs. If your folks are heading down on 331, when they get to Hwy 90, they can pick up boiled peanuts, oysters, tomatos and melon....one stop shop. I am not kidding!

 

[lerxst]

oysters an peanuts

Stinky's Fish camp on 30-a in Dune Allen and Acme Oyster house in The Village of Baytowne-Sandestin has great Oysters and will throughout the summer. Your friends would do well to do some research on both sides of the fence dealing with when you should, and possibly should not eat raw oysters and why. i'e. avoiding the months with no "r" rule... nevertheless restaurants still sell them in the summer months.

Acme's oyster's usually come from Louisiana while Stinky's from famous Appalachicola.
I recommend roadside boiled peanuts (Cotton's in Freeport just south of Hwy 20 and 331 Junction) as they are better than the store bought ones, although in a pinch i've bought the canned peanuts when desperate.

enjoy!

 

[SneakyPete]

I dunno about oysters in the summer. We wouldn't even eat them in the summer back in the 70's and the water was a whole lot cleaner then. In the winter, we love to go to Gene's Oyster Bar in Panama City. Absolutely no atmosphere (which actually translates into plenty of old-timey oyster bar atmosphere), but they serve the best oysters I've ever eaten. Sitting in front of the oyster shucking trench while they shuck until you can't eat anymore is an experience not to be missed!

I like Cotton's boiled peanuts, but we usually just make our own. Even Walmart around here sells green peanuts. You rinse them really well, cover them with water and add enough kosher salt to make the water taste a little salty and boil them until they're done. It could be two hours. It could be four. It just depends on how thick the shells, how old the peanuts are, and how mushy you like them. We like them with a little bit of life still left in them so we pull them off before they go super mushy.

 

[mrs.rocket]

Delta Kitchen in Freeport ( located in the Freeport Shopping PLaza on 331 just south of 90) has fried oysters AND serves a complimentary appetizer of boiled peanuts and homemade pimento cheese to all our guests. Were open 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Come check it out.

 

[Matt J]

Goat Feather's seafood market sells oysters by the box about 6-8 dozen per box.

They're okay to eat in July, but generally I follow the "r" rule. If the month doesn't have an r in it don't eat them. It's not going to kill you, that can happen with an oyster 365 days a year. However when it warms up the little guys get randy and toughen up a bit as they roll into mating season.

If they still want oysters, throw them on the grill and wait for the shell to pop. Don't over cook them or they'll be little, shriveled, and gross. If they don't pop, don't eat 'em.

Peanuts are generally good from any roadside stand in the south.