"R" months (1599)

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"September" is an "r" month--a month with that letter in the name, unlike May, June, July, and August. According to the old saying, it's now time to eat oysters again.
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Henry Stern (NY Civic) recently wrote an "oysters" article.
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I believe that "r-month" has been researched to the mid-1500s, but I can't find that (just the OED cite from 1599). There's an undated manuscript below (from EEBO). In any case, it's an old saying.
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http://www.nycivic.org/articles/oyster.html
    
The old saying goes something like this: "Never eat oysters in a month without an 'R' in it." 
Well this is because, oysters spawn during the summer. Spawning takes a lot of energy. During reproduction, an oyster consumes the energy stored in its plump little body to aid in its heroic and taxing effort. The result is a tired, flaccid, mushy oyster with a milky appearance (Don't we all feel that way at times?). In actuality, it's not that you can't or shouldn't eat healthy oysters in the summer, or that you'll die from eating one. It's that they're exhausted and not at their prime for eating. You knew there had to be a sex angle it!

Oysters are filters feeders and consume bacteria and dinoflagellates that can be associated with red tides during the summer. If another organism consumes the oyster the bacteria and dinoflagellates in the oyster's gut may be harmful to the consumer.

Refrigeration may be part of the reason for only eating the oyster in months with Rs, but the Romans transported oysters throughout the Empire long before ice chests were around. They would wrap the oysters in either cloth or sea weed and place them in barrels. 

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(GOOGLE)  
Pepys' Diary: Wednesday 4 September 1661
"oysters" the first I have eat this year, not being a water based meat lover,
... wisdom that oysters, mussels and the like are at their best in R-months. ...
www.pepysdiary.com/archive/1661/09/04/index.php - 28k - Cached - Similar pages 
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(OED)
1599 H. BUTTES Dyets drie Dinner Mviijb, Oysters..in those Moneths that have the letter R. in their names. 
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b. the 'r' months: Those months in the name of which an r occurs (September to April), during which oysters are in season (cf. quot. 1599 above). So also r-less month. 
1764 CHESTERFIELD Lett. cccxlvi, Here is no domestic news of changes and chances in the political world, which, like oysters, are only in season in the R months, when the Parliament sits. 1856 LOWELL Lett. (1894) I. iv. 301, I don't believe even the oysters found out what r-less month it was. 1888 Pall Mall G. 21 Sept. 7/2 The 'r' months have, however, opened at Brussels in the usual way; the Zeeland and Ostend oysters..made their welcome appearance.
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(EARLY ENGLISH BOOKS ONLINE)
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Author: Vaughan, William, 1577-1641. 
Title: Approved directions for health, both naturall and artificiall deriued from the best physitians as well moderne as auncient. Teaching how euery man should keepe his body and mind in health: and sicke, how hee may safely restore it himselfe. Diuided into 6. sections 1. Ayre, fire and water. 2. Meate, drinke with nourishment. 3. Sleepe, earely rising and dreames. 4. Auoidance of excrements, by purga. 5. The soules qualities and affections. 6. Quarterly, monethly, and daily diet. Newly corrected and augmented by the authour. 
Date:  
Bibliographic Name / Number: STC (2nd ed.) / 24615 
No. of Pages: [8], 150 p. 
Copy From: Folger Shakespeare Library 
Reel Position: STC / 582:16  
Approved directions for health, both naturall and artificiall 179Kb 
NATVRALL AND ARTIFICIAL DIRECTIONS FOR HEALTH. 173Kb 
The second Section, concerning foode. 52Kb 
Of Fish. CHAP. 6. 4Kb 
What is the best fish? 2Kb 
 First hit 


What is the best fish?
A fresh Carpe salted for the space of sixe houres, and then fried in oyle and besprinkled with vinegar, in which spices haue boyled, in all mens censure is thought to be the wholesomest kind of fish. It may not be kept long, except it be well couered with bay, mirtle, or Cedar leaues.
Salmon and Trouts well sodden in water and vinegar, and eaten with sowre sauce, doe 
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helpe hot liuers and burning ag[...]es. 
Barbles rosted vpon a gridiron, or broyled in vineger are very wholesome. If any man drinke the wine, wherein one of them hath beene strangled to death, he shall euer after despise all manner of wines. Which conclusion were fit to be put in tryall by some of our notorious swil-boules.
Riuer sturgeons sodden in water and vineger and eaten with fennell, doe coole the bloud, and prouoke lecherie.
Cuttles seasoned with oyle and pepper, do prouoke appetite and nourish much.
Riuer Lampreyes choked with Nutmegs, and Cloues, and fryed with bread, oyle, and spices, is a Princely dish, and doth very much good.
Female Tenches baked with Garlick, or boyled with Onions, oyle, and Raisins, may be eaten of vouth, and collerick men.
Pikes boyled with water, oyle, and sweet hearbs will firmely nourish.
Eeles taken in Spring time, and rosted in a leafe of paper with oyle, Coriander seed, and Parsley, doe breake flegme in the stomacke.
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Riuer Perches will prouoke appetite to them that be sicke of the hot ague. 
  Oysters rosted on the imbers, and then taken with oyle, pepper, and the iuyce of Orenges, prouoke appetite and lechery. They must not be eaten in those moneth, which in pronouncing want the   letter R.
Cra fish rosted in the imbers, and eaten with vineger and pepper purge the reines, and helpe them that be sicke of the consumption or Ptisick.