A 2.500 square metre stretch of water in Taranto’s Mar Grande where oysters can grow
OYSTERS FARM
OYSTER FARMS
A 2.500 square metre stretch of water in Taranto’s Mar Grande where oysters can grow
Oyster production
Oyster farming requires special attention and great patience, as it is a type of shellfish of great value and taste. The maturation process of the oysters takes 24 months, during which meticulous procedures are followed, respecting the environment that hosts them.
Preparing the lanterns
The seed, which comes from France, is planted in ‘lanterns’, rectangular woven plastic fibre bags, which are submerged in the sea at a depth of 12 metres. The growth phase takes about two years to obtain a quality product and reach a marketable size.
Selection
As with mussel farming, oysters undergo a ‘refining’ process. Our oyster farmers periodically observe the size of the shells and intervene to ensure that all the oysters grow evenly. They are then taken out of the water every 15 days and sorted according to size before being re-immersed.
Maturation
The oyster farmers follow every single variation in the growth of the oysters and ensure that they are all the same size and have an elegant, completed shape. When the product has reached a weight of 100 grams, it is ready to be sold. Its flavour will be intense and full-bodied, with a salty aftertaste, typical of products bred in our sea.
Shipping
In keeping with an old tradition, our oysters are now shipped to the end customer in 3kg packs in wooden crates.
This procedure is similar to that which took place 100 years ago, when the product travelled throughout Europe in large barrels filled with ice.
