Tub oysters are simply fresh, shucked oysters (they are called "tub" oysters because they are shipped it tubs; kinda like the type of containers you … If you’ve ever eaten raw oysters lying open on a bed of ice with a fresh wedge of lemon, or Tabasco or vinegar to drizzle over them, those oysters will have been alive. Those salty little (supposed) aphrodisiacs were living and breathing organisms when you snapped them for Instagram and tipped their shells towards your lips… and that’s a good thing. Are oysters still alive when I eat them? THE TRUTH. A dead oyster can harbor a lot of bacteria which can make you ill if eaten raw. Written by Alexandra on February 21, 2020 in Life. If you do buy fresh oysters to bring home, it’s best to keep the raw oysters on ice and eat them as soon as they’re shucked, within a day of purchase. They are one of the most delicious foods on Earth, many would agree, and they are highly nutritious. Raw oysters have a history of getting people sick, and if an oyster is already dead instead of being freshly shucked, it’s even more dangerous to eat it raw. Source: I've shucked hundreds, perhaps thousands of oysters. A lot of restaurants purchase "tub" oysters. Raw oysters are alive when you eat them — and that’s how it should be if you want them to be fresh. Many less experienced oyster eaters are grossed out by them, and/or seem to think that the oyster is no good because one is in there. Ideally, oysters should be kept alive right up until the moment just before consumption. First of all, keeping them alive is keeping them fresh and they maintain their nutrients, texture, and taste. The heart is right next to the bottom adductor muscle, so in most cases, separating the meat from the shell kills it. you can eat cooked oysters year round, but raw oysters can have a bacteria once the bay gets over 74degrees. Namely, they are killed just before they are served, and they arrive raw at the table, because of several reasons. You can eat them dead if they are very fresh. Raw oysters are alive until you eat them —because when those raw oysters die—they Are no longer safe to eat. I Just Learned That Raw Oysters Are Still Alive When You Eat Them. You don’t want to eat a dead oyster, raw. However, the presence of one actually means your oyster will be quite clean, since the pea crab is there to eat its waste! However, did you know that oysters might be still alive when you’re eating them? An oyster shucked and eaten immediately is still alive. Oysters have been a part of the human diet for thousands of years.