Hopefully more oysters are in Appalachicola’s future

[billanole]

as the Supreme Court ruled in Florida’s favor.
https://www.tallahassee.com/story/n...-dispute-georgia-over-water-rights/709578002/
The decision is also a victory for Florida Gov. Rick Scott who opted to file the case with the high court when lower court decisions favoring Georgia suggested he would not win.

"Today’s ruling is a huge win for the entire state of Florida," Scott said in a statement issued shortly after the ruling. "For nearly thirty years and under five governors, Florida has been fighting for its fair share of water from Georgia."

Apalachicola Riverkeeper Georgia Ackerman hailed the court's action because sending the case back to the special master "will allow Florida to present evidence of the ecologic and economic harm suffered along with potential solutions for equitable sharing of the water of the Apalachicola River system."

A lack of water led the Obama administration in 2013 to declare the oyster fishery in the Apalachicola Bay a federal disaster.

Georgia officials, disappointed by the ruling, continue to point out that aggressive conservation efforts mean that metro Atlanta consumes only 1.3% of the water in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River basin that spans Georgia, southeastern Alabama, and northwestern Florida in an area covering 19,800 square miles.

“We are disappointed this litigation will continue, but we are confident Georgia will prevail in the end," said Katherine Zitsch, natural resources manager at the Atlanta Regional Commission. "We look forward to a time when we can move beyond litigation and cooperatively manage the basin’s water.”

 

[squiffynole]

Meanwhile the City of Albany continues to discharge raw sewage into the Flint River from failing lift stations, Valdosta has chronic discharges into the Withlacoochee. EPA don't care, the State of Georgia don't care, the cities don't care.

 

[cfbfan23]

Meanwhile the City of Albany continues to discharge raw sewage into the Flint River from failing lift stations, Valdosta has chronic discharges into the Withlacoochee. EPA don't care, the State of Georgia don't care, the cities don't care.

I totally agree about those Georgia cities. And the same goes for Florida. The Indian River is in really bad shape.

 

[squiffynole]

I totally agree about those Georgia cities. And the same goes for Florida. The Indian River is in really bad shape.

Its a sad world out there, the richness of the natural environment is being depleted before our eyes.

 

[Imtotallynottribe]

Its a sad world out there, the richness of the natural environment is being depleted before our eyes.

This Italian American actor pretending to be a Wild West “Indian” agrees in an unPClike fashion.

 

[ericram]

Meanwhile the City of Albany continues to discharge raw sewage into the Flint River from failing lift stations, Valdosta has chronic discharges into the Withlacoochee. EPA don't care, the State of Georgia don't care, the cities don't care.

EPA?! LOL you are wasting your words and time.

 

[ReliableOstrich]

EPA?! LOL you are wasting your words and time.

EPA will protect the environment from companies that don't have enough money for bribes.

 

[funksouljon]

Back in my day.....

you get could a whole bushel of oysters on our way home from Alligator Point. I think a whole bushel was $20? No clue how many bushels we brought home over the years, but it was a lot. And we never got sick. I wouldn't consider eating them these days.....

 

[funksouljon]

EPA will protect the environment from companies that don't have enough money for bribes.

Its a shame. Aside from the bribes, the fines/penalties don't seem to scare the deep pockets as indicated by behavior not changing.

 

[ReliableOstrich]

Dumb question...

How do you prepare oysters for consumption? Do they need to be cooked/steamed at all or can you just snatch one out the gulf, pry it open and enjoy?

 

[billanole]

Dumb question...

How do you prepare oysters for consumption? Do they need to be cooked/steamed at all or can you just snatch one out the gulf, pry it open and enjoy?

Yes, we eat em right out of the water, but my favorite way is to grill them over open fire until they pop open. Butter and hot sauce are your friend at that point.

 

[billanole]

Back in my day.....

you get could a whole bushel of oysters on our way home from Alligator Point. I think a whole bushel was $20? No clue how many bushels we brought home over the years, but it was a lot. And we never got sick. I wouldn't consider eating them these days.....

We could get a bushel right off the boat for $5 back in the day.

 

[noleit]

Dumb question...

How do you prepare oysters for consumption? Do they need to be cooked/steamed at all or can you just snatch one out the gulf, pry it open and enjoy?

Real men eat them raw.

 

[noleit]

We could get a bushel right off the boat for $5 back in the day.

If you broke them up $5 bushel,singles were $10 bushel and restaurants had 5 cent specials.

 

[ReliableOstrich]

What is normally served in restaurants? Raw oysters, right?

Do they do anything to them other than crack them open?

 

[funksouljon]

Dumb question...

How do you prepare oysters for consumption? Do they need to be cooked/steamed at all or can you just snatch one out the gulf, pry it open and enjoy?

Yes, we eat em right out of the water, but my favorite way is to grill them over open fire until they pop open. Butter and hot sauce are your friend at that point.

So how would I back then or now? I haven't eaten an oyster in forever due to 1) world is nasty now compared to 30 years ago (see article)! and 2) We only get the rocky mountain variety here which really need to be fried.

We'd sit on the back porch, shuck and move to a cracker with a little sauce n pitch the shells into the woods. The other main way I ate em was shuck, toss em in a coating and fry.

But I like Bill's way, we just didn't do em that way.

 

[funksouljon]

What is normally served in restaurants? Raw oysters, right?

Do they do anything to them other than crack them open?

Depends. You can get a plate of raw on half shell. Or fried as a main or fried in a Po'boy. Thats how I usually see em, but know they do prep them plenty of other ways.

I have never really liked steamed oysters.

 

[ReliableOstrich]

$1 oyster happy hour is one of my fav things... can't help but feel like I'm getting a good deal but also getting ripped off.

 

[funksouljon]

$1 oyster happy hour is one of my fav things... can't help but feel like I'm getting a good deal but also getting ripped off.

Bill's back in the day was a great deal. Hell, my back in the day was a pretty good deal. Compared to then, yeah, agreed, definitely feels like a rip off.

 

[Oclawaha]

I can remember $2 a dozen at Bullwinkles among other places.
And I agree with the poster who says they’re only good raw. Don’t eat em anymore because the bay is hosed.
I don’t know that increased flow is going to be the trick or not.
Cutting a chunk out of the island might have been the beginning of the end.

 

[Imtotallynottribe]

What is normally served in restaurants? Raw oysters, right?

Do they do anything to them other than crack them open?

In the South they’re typically served raw and eaten with cocktail sauce, hot sauce on crackers or as I prefer them just on the half shell with grated pickled horseradish. In the West Coast because the Pacific oysters are sweeter you see them frequently served with mignonette sauce which is sweetened vinegar with minced shallots and cracked black pepper.

 

[Fijimn]

Grilled Gulf oysters from Dragos - butter, cheese and Leidenheimer french bread.

We can get a half-bushel from the fish markets near Galveston for $20. I haven't bought any this year because of the run off from Harvey -- but I am pretty sure the farmed ones are treated (radiation maybe?).

GW Fins cold smokes them, sits them in clarified butter and garlic. Heat up the shell on the grill (they use a super hot pizza oven) and then drop them in the shell and serve them sizzling. They are so good. I think i have done a pretty good job copying that technique.

 

[PoopandBoogers]

GW Fins cold smokes them, sits them in clarified butter and garlic. Heat up the shell on the grill (they use a super hot pizza oven) and then drop them in the shell and serve them sizzling. They are so good. I think i have done a pretty good job copying that technique.

That sounds awesome, will try. Ive had oysters about every way they prepare them in Fl, but not that.

I remember getting quarter beers and oysters at Calico Jacks in Tally when I was in school and it was a blast with a table of buddies. A few small oyster shacks around the Apalachicola were money as well. Use to shuck and serve or steam them when working in Port Canaveral as a teenager. In NOLA, eating 5 dozen at acme was a regular occurence.
Last time I was going to get them I almost fell off the barstool at how much they cost now. I want to say $10-$12 a dozen, but that seems crazy, even if true.

 

[Oclawaha]

Around here you’re doing good if you can find oysters at $12 a dozen.

 

[billanole]

I can remember $2 a dozen at Bullwinkles among other places.
And I agree with the poster who says they’re only good raw. Don’t eat em anymore because the bay is hosed.
I don’t know that increased flow is going to be the trick or not.
Cutting a chunk out of the island might have been the beginning of the end.

Oh yeah, Sikes Cut has been a huge contributor to increased salinity in conjunction with low river flows.

 

[DanC78]

I cried after eating an oyster from appalachacola once. It was so delicious.

Save the rivers....save the oysters!