We are often asked “How long will the oysters or mussels last?”.
This is dependant on how they are stored, although it is best to consume them as soon as you can.
As a guide, store oysters with their curved shell down in a bowl in the fridge. Stored like this the oyster can survive for about 3 weeks (yes 3) as the water within is held. Obviously I would recommend eating the oyster long before then and if upon removal from the fridge the oyster is gaping and does not close after a slight tap DO NOT EAT. I would recommend eating the oysters within 6 days of packing.
With mussels they are more dependant on the time of year. In summer their shelf life is shorter (upto 8 days) than that of the winter (upto 17 days) but in both cases, store in a bowl in the fridge and consume within 6 days of the packing date for best results. Mussels do have a tendency to gape but should close after tapping. Bear in mind that they may take a few seconds to close due to the fact that they will be cold and therefore slow moving. If however they remain open discard.
In both cases the shellfish are live and if they continue to gape after tapping DO NOT EAT. If they close they are still alive and edible.. I should point out that other producers shelf lives may well differ from those quoted above.