Are those purple sea urchins eatable?

I see a bunch of sea urchins at my Sonoma dive site.  Can I turn those into uni?  Is it worth the trouble?

Only if you want to eat delicious and fresh uni. Take some crackers with you. Split the urchins open on the beach or rocks and rinse the uni in seawater and either slide it into your mouth or put it on a craker right there. The flavor is wonderful and mild. Like an explosion of all sea tastes right in your mouth. Damn!

Heres one I harvested in Shelter Cove..

....

wow, damn, I'm for sure gonna give that a try.  I have been paying $5 for two pieces of those at Japanese restaurants.

So just look for the biggest size, right?  Any other criteria for hunting?  And how many can I take a day (yes I can read the regs but if someone can save me some leg work...thank you)?

Hi Yakers:
 
           The Uni is like Ice Cream from the Sea. Don't get stuck handling them! I was a Tender on " The Rage" while living in Albion.
                                                                           Sea-ya
                                                                           Ernie

wow, damn, I'm for sure gonna give that a try.  I have been paying $5 for two pieces of those at Japanese restaurants.

And the freshly harvested uni you eat right on the beach makes the uni you eat in restaurants taste like crap. Literally.

i snagged a big ol sucker at timber cove one day and didnt know what to do with it , tossed it back

Urchins are great to eat! Turn them over, crack them like a hard boiled egg, remove the mouth, rinse them in sea water squeeze a little lemon inside and scoop the row out with fresh sourdough french bread, a bottle of red wine and you're livin' large. I think the limit is around 30. That's how the old school Italians taught me to eat them. Enjoy

Limit of 35. I like them plain, just like in sushi resturants. One time I tried some with lemon juice, but it just overpowers that nice ocean flavor.

Hello Fish Master 1,

I wanted to take another look at this great sea urchin-preparing video you uploaded, but it is no longer available where you put it.  Do you mind uploading it again??!!

Thanks a lot in advance!

Heres one I harvested in Shelter Cove..

! Video not found

I uploaded a HD version of the video when I started a new YouTube account.  Here is a new link.  For some reason the post won't let me embed the video with one already installed.  Sorry about that! 

Matt

update:  Looks like the video embedded finally!

I'm a wimp. I gotta rinse mine with fresh water.

Thank you Matt, great video!!

I uploaded a HD version of the video when I started a new YouTube account.  Here is a new link.  For some reason the post won't let me embed the video with one already installed.  Sorry about that! 

Matt

And the freshly harvested uni you eat right on the beach makes the uni you eat in restaurants taste like crap. Literally.

x10

That's a great video Matt. The white creamy stuff around the roe is sperm, haha, the good shit according to culinary experts Enjoy.