2 days Ago
Serge Meilleur, of Longueuil, Quebec, right, places an oyster from Eros Oysters on his plate during the third annual Maine Oyster Festival on Saturday in Freeport. Meilleur, who returned to the festival this year for his second time, said he likes “everything” about the bivalves. Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer FREEPORT — The state’s best bivalves were on display this weekend at the third annual Maine Oyster Festival in Freeport.
The two-day festival, held in the L.L.Bean parking lots, highlights Maine’s blossoming oyster industry – one that has grown from a handful of operations to include more than 150 farms up and down the coast.
Dozens of farmers shucked and served raw oysters for $3 each at the festival, and hundreds of guests slurped down the shellfish and compared flavor profiles. The oyster-centered event was complete with live sea shanties and local artisans. Native to Maine, the eastern oyster is known for its brininess and sweet aftertaste – something Kelly Punch from Mere Point Oysters in Brunswick takes pride in.
Lulu, 1, of Scarborough, politely refuses an oyster held by her mother, Sophie Coleman, after taking a quick sip of its contents during the third annual Maine Oyster Festival on Saturday in Freeport. Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer “We’ve got about 3,500 floating cages, nothing touches the bottom, so we’re really crisp, clean,” Punch said. “Our bay is so nutrient-rich, and no freshwater influence makes us really salty, (with a) nice.
