Call Circle C @ 301-872-4177

Our oyster (Crassostrea virginica Lineback©) was named after a characteristic white line that appears down the middle of the top shell on some of our oysters. Oysters can get suntans. Melanin can turn the shell almost black. The white stripe is caused because this area does not "tan". Lineback© oysters that grow in the shade of other oysters in our systems or are upside down in our production equipment do not exhibit the white line and dark sides. According to Maryland Department of Natural Resources our oysters contain 32% more meat than a wild oyster of the same size. A bushel of wild oysters weighs about 80 pounds. Wild oysters in excellent condition produce about 6-8 pounds of meat to the bushel, a shell to meat ratio of 10:1. Maryland's Department of Agriculture has tested Lineback© oysters and determined that they have a shell to meat ratio of 4:1. The reason for this is that Lineback© oysters have very thin shells making them very easy to shuck. A pair of scissors and a butter knife will work! Just snip off the bill (the end away from the hinge) and slip in the knife to cut the muscle away from the shell. Lineback© oysters have been selectively bred for over 40 years to produce these characteristics. The result is an oyster that is young and tender when it is ready for the table. Circle C grows its oysters only in Maryland approved waters. The production system used by Circle C holds Lineback© oysters near the surface where food and oxygen are abundant. Oysters prefer to graze on fresh young plants called algae. These plants need sunlight to grow and produce sugar. This is why Lineback© oysters taste so different from wild oysters. They are milder and sweeter because of the food they get. Circle C has copyrighted its oyster line to protect against unauthorized reproduction of Lineback© oysters. This is where the Circle C comes from in our name.