Home All All products (collection) Little Gun Oysters from East Moriches, NY
Close-up of a shucked Little Gun oyster held in hand showcasing plump meat and cupped white shell against a sunlit wooden dock
Close-up of a Little Gun oyster in hand showing the rough, ridged outer shell and size in the palm with a dark water background

Little Gun Oysters from East Moriches, NY

$105.00

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Quantity: 50 Count

Available for a limited time only.

Farmer: Paul McCormick

Location: East Moriches, NY

Size: 2.5 - 3"

How They’re Grown: The Guns spend their summer and fall in floating bags on single time trawls where they are shaken vigorously to prune the shells and plump the cups. When the change in seasons brings the winter freeze, the bags are sunk to the bottom to stay safe away from any incoming ice. While there, they will be flipped and tended to regularly to avoid getting covered in soft sand. In March the bags will rise again! This time relying only on the action of the waves to continue pruning the shells. The guns can range from 9 to 20 months old at the time of harvest.

How They Taste: Salty, savory and rich, with an insanely sweet finish, like candied spring carrots. Mild aftertaste that reminds me of summer in the Hamptons!

Why They’re Unique: This was the first licensed shellfish farm in Moriches Bay! The exact site of the farm was also leased back in the 1800’s to oyster farmers raising seed to be sent back to the Great South Bay for grow out. In other words, this spot is old school.

Story: Paul started as a clammer in the 1990s, and in a story parallel to our own Skip Bennett, decided to pivot when faced with continually diminishing wild stocks. He didn’t turn to oysters immediately; in fact he stayed off the water for almost 20 years but always longed to return. After reconnecting with some old baymen friends and hearing about small-scale oyster farming beginning to take place in NY, he knew this was his was back to the water. In 2013, he established the Great Gun Oyster Farm, named for the Great Gun Beach on Fire Island, located just across the bay.

 California Prop 65 Warning

Overall rating: 4.7916665 / 5 from 24 reviews.

AI Generated Review Summary

Little Gun Oysters from East Moriches, NY are highly praised for their briny and sweet flavor. Grown in floating bags and harvested at 9 to 20 months old, these oysters offer a unique taste reminiscent of candied spring carrots. This farm, the first licensed shellfish farm in Moriches Bay, has a rich history dating back to the 1800s.

Summary topics

  • Flavor of Oysters (65%): Many customers stated that the oysters were delicious and had a briny and sweet flavor, making them the best they've ever tasted.
  • Quality and Taste of Great Guns Oysters (30%): A substantial number of customers appreciated the great quality and taste of the Great Guns oysters.

Review topics: ["size","flavor","shipping","problem","gift","batch","order","oysters","guns","meat","start","finish"].

Review highlights

  • "The oysters arrived very clean, with a briny and sweet flavor." — David O.
  • "I must say that the Little Guns I received last week were simply some of the best oysters I have ever tasted." — Paul
  • "Great gift given from our daughter who resides in Holland and loves to support local businesses back here in EMO." — John S.

Reviews

Great Guns are, well, great

"Excellent flavor. The description says they have a sweet finish, but our batch was savory/salty all the way through. Sizes varied from small to almost large. The shells are a little brittle, so shuck gently."

— James M. (5/5)

Delayed delivery

"Shipment was scheduled for a Tuesday delivery the week of Thanksgiving for a party Wednesday night. The package didn't arrive until Friday. Fortunately, the weather was cool and the oysters and caviar were still good, but unfortunately, we had to change plans for what to serve at the party."

— James H. (3/5)

Great Guns

"These were large, deep cupped, and plump. Beautiful meats with dark blue frills. They were full of algae that they eat which made them so sweet. Best oysters I've ever had from the new York area. They were also very consistently sized and shaped. 5 stars."

— Richard S. (5/5)

1st Time ordering these oysters. very satisfied excellent flavor

"The oysters arrived very clean, with a briny and sweet flavor. The only minor issue was that a few shell cups broke during shucking. Overall, they were excellent, and I’d recommend them to any oyster lover."

— David O. (5/5)

Delicious! Thank you!

"First time trying these! Oysters were a hit for thanksgiving. Large, easy to shuck, and very tasty!"

— Hugo (5/5)

Took too much effort to

"Took too much effort to open"

— Daniel P. (3/5)

Great Guns are Excellent

"Ordered 50 Great Guns for New Year’s and they were excellent. All were in the around 3” with some larger and some smaller. These oysters have an excellent salty start and some nuttiness that follows, with a solid texture that isn’t too chewy. Some of the Great Gun shells were a little thin so the top half cracked when being opened. We were really pleased with tis order. Only one in 50 of oysters was bad - no issue there."

— Michael B. (5/5)

WOW!

"Big beautiful meat. Easy to shuck. Very tasty."

— Mark S. (5/5)

Great gun Oysters

"Amazing Oysters. Great salt hit in the beginning to a sweet finish. I have ordered many times from you. These are for sure top 3!"

— Quentin F. (5/5)

great

"great"

— Richard H. (5/5)

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