Island Creek Oysters began in 1995, when Skip Bennett planted his first oysters in Duxbury Bay, Massachusetts. Three decades on, the company runs an oyster farm, a raw bar, a restaurant, and a cannery in New Bedford, the largest commercial fishing port in the U.S. by value.

That cannery is the reason Island Creek is on our shelves. The company says it's the first of its kind in the U.S., built to tin American shellfish the way Spanish conservas producers do, in olive oil and with a short ingredient list. Everything is canned by hand, and every tin can be traced back to the farm that grew the shellfish. Island Creek also points out that canning gives shellfish farmers a way to sell more of their harvest year-round while cutting down on refrigeration and waste.

The first tin off the line was the Littleneck Clams with Confit Garlic, Chili & Olive Oil. The clams come from Cherrystone Aqua-Farms in Cape Charles, Virginia, and are shucked and packed in New Bedford with confit garlic, chili de árbol, and extra virgin olive oil. Spread the soft garlic on toast, pile the clams on top, and save the oil for pasta.