[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.
Frozen raw shucked oysters will keep for up to three months. They should be thawed in the refrigerator and then used as you would fresh oysters for cooking. Cooked oysters should not be frozen, lest you end up with rubber door stoppers. Use leftover refrigerated cooked oysters within three days.