[This essay was put together after Emerson's death from a number of commencement and similar addresses he had made. It appears in The Complete Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson, edited by Edward Emerson].
Freshly shucked oysters can be immersed in water and placed in shallow, air-tight containers in the freezer. Freezer temperatures should be below zero degrees Fahrenheit. Oysters can be frozen for up to three months.
Unshucked oysters, also referred to as shellstock, are live oysters still in their shells. Well-refrigerated, unshucked oysters keep for two days inside a large bowl or container, loosely covered with a damp paper towel to keep them moist. Never store live oysters on a bed of ice inside the refrigerator. As the ice melts, the oysters float in a freshwater bath that eventually causes them to die.