Butter & Brine Oysters from Portsmouth, RI
Farmer: Kyle Hess
Location: Portsmouth, RI
Size:Â 2.5"-3" on average
How theyâre grown: Kyle and his crew of 2 grow their oysters in a small, protective cove thatâs almost fully enclosed by a sandbar. They start in an upweller system before moving into different sized intertidal flip bags and floating cages suspended in the top few feet of the bay where the water is the warmest and the phytoplankton are populous. Suspending the cages contributes to a nutrient-rich environment and lots of food for a plumper, faster-growing oyster and also helps protect from unwanted predators chowing down on the oysters before we can get to âem. Since they hang out at the top of the water column, they get bumped and tumbled around in the current, which produces a tender meat, enhances the cup shape, and creates a stronger, thicker shell. The grow out process takes about 1.5-2 years.Â
How they taste: Â Like the name suggests, theyâre perfectly balanced with a splash of briny seawater up front and a creamy, freshly churned butter-like finish.
Why theyâre unique: Butter & Brines are grown in a cove off of Hog Island, located in Narragansett Bay, where Kyleâs ancestors were some of the original settlers. This particular Hog Island is one of over 20 in the USâthere are 5 in Maine alone! Legend has it that the name âhogâ was the perfect three letter word for cartographers to write on a map for a small island that would still be legible.  Â
Story:  After completing an aquaculture course at Roger Williams University (under the tutelage of fellow oyster farmer Dale Leavitt), Kyle secured a lease in 2012 and started growing oystersâŠwhile still working a full-time desk job. With a background in engineering, Kyleâs farm is orderly and streamlined, and he even built a house on Hog Island so heâs never too far away from his farm and can always keep an eye on his bivalve kids. He loves the location of his âfarm officeâ and being out on the water to handle his product as often as he can.
Original: $140.00
-65%$140.00
$49.00Product Information
Product Information
Shipping & Returns
Shipping & Returns
Description
Farmer: Kyle Hess
Location: Portsmouth, RI
Size:Â 2.5"-3" on average
How theyâre grown: Kyle and his crew of 2 grow their oysters in a small, protective cove thatâs almost fully enclosed by a sandbar. They start in an upweller system before moving into different sized intertidal flip bags and floating cages suspended in the top few feet of the bay where the water is the warmest and the phytoplankton are populous. Suspending the cages contributes to a nutrient-rich environment and lots of food for a plumper, faster-growing oyster and also helps protect from unwanted predators chowing down on the oysters before we can get to âem. Since they hang out at the top of the water column, they get bumped and tumbled around in the current, which produces a tender meat, enhances the cup shape, and creates a stronger, thicker shell. The grow out process takes about 1.5-2 years.Â
How they taste: Â Like the name suggests, theyâre perfectly balanced with a splash of briny seawater up front and a creamy, freshly churned butter-like finish.
Why theyâre unique: Butter & Brines are grown in a cove off of Hog Island, located in Narragansett Bay, where Kyleâs ancestors were some of the original settlers. This particular Hog Island is one of over 20 in the USâthere are 5 in Maine alone! Legend has it that the name âhogâ was the perfect three letter word for cartographers to write on a map for a small island that would still be legible.  Â
Story:  After completing an aquaculture course at Roger Williams University (under the tutelage of fellow oyster farmer Dale Leavitt), Kyle secured a lease in 2012 and started growing oystersâŠwhile still working a full-time desk job. With a background in engineering, Kyleâs farm is orderly and streamlined, and he even built a house on Hog Island so heâs never too far away from his farm and can always keep an eye on his bivalve kids. He loves the location of his âfarm officeâ and being out on the water to handle his product as often as he can.
