Sea foods are just the best when it comes to maintaining a very healthy body system. You would rarely hear a doctor telling their patients to cut down on their seafood intake. This is because they have high nutritional values recommended for any age.
Did you know that finding fresh clams in the United States is very easy, even though you might find it hard to find a good source?
Follow me through this article as I show you how you can find the nearest fresh clam sellers around you.
- Open your preferred browser, and search, “Where can I buy fresh clams near me.” You can turn on your location to get the nearest place.
- Tap on the “Maps” button to see different store options.
- Different stores will be shown to you on the map, you can also change the setting to be viewed as a list, or change your browser settings to desktop view so that you can view the map and list at the same time.
1.The map view
2.The list view
3. The Desktop view
- You have to scroll and check the nearest to you. You can also tap on each of them to check the reviews and ratings. example,
Scroll through the reviews to see what other customers have to say about the services.
Note: The steps above should serve as a guide for mobile devices. Although you can still apply the knowledge on your computer browser to get similar results.
How much is a bag of fresh clams?
Prices of both fresh and frozen clams are not stable; they are dependent on so many factors, which include the season, the store you purchased them from, quantity purchased, and your location. Having these general factors (general because they also apply to every other item) in your mind, you can purchase fresh clams for as low as $5 per pound at any local seafood market and up to $30 per pound for an already cleaned fresh clam ready to be cooked.
However, the price of fresh clams at a grocery store is different. Grocery stores get their supplies from farm-bred clams. They are usually sold in a 50-count bag. Some factors also affect the prices of each bag, $10 to $15 should get you one. For instance, a 59-count bag can be purchased at Wegmans for about $12.
How far in advance can you buy fresh clams?
Canned and frozen clams are always available year-round. The easiest and cheapest time to harvest and buy fresh clams is during the summer season. This is due to the fact that they are easily infected by bacteria and do not go too deep into the mud during the summer season.
Buy your fresh clams the day you want to cook them. Fresh clams should not be left for more than 2 days in your refrigerator or storage if you plan to cook with them.
The best time to buy fresh clams is during the winter months, although they might be quite expensive in those months. However, whether fresh, canned, or frozen. They are perishable and should not be left for more than 48 hours without cooking.
How can you tell if a clam is fresh?
Clams, of course, are shelled, and some people find it really hard to discern between a fresh clam and a dead clam, where others can identify them by just mere observation. These bivalve molluscs may either have a soft or hard shell depending on conditions. There are different methods you can apply to know if clams are fresh or not, especially when you want to make a purchase. Dead clams should not be eaten as they are not healthy, so you need to be able to identify and dispose of them.
To know this is actually very easy, as living things clam when picked up; their shells are tightly locked in or slightly open. Also, the shell should be moist and tight with no cracks or breaks anywhere. If you observe a soft shell clam closely, you will notice motion at the snout or in the neck area. When you pick up a clam and tap on it, it will close up tightly almost immediately, and this is an indication of life.
Other ways you can identify fresh clams are through their color or smell. Shuck clams may possess a cream color, be rotund, and also have a clear or milky kind of liquid. The color of the liquid should be far from dark. The clams should have a very mild ocean-like smell, but if they have a strong sour or ammonia smell, they are not fresh and should be thrown away.
Should I wash clams before cooking?
Preparing clams requires thorough cleaning as these molluscs do not close their shells all the time, hence the accumulation of sand, grit, and dirt. Hence the need to actually purge clams.
Let’s take a look at some methods, or better put, a few steps to implement to achieve a clean or healthy clam.
The first thing you’ll need is a large and spacious bowl to pour your clams into. Then you’ll need water and salt to enable you to rid your clams of dirt, sand, and any other impurities. So in your bowl of water, add about 1/3 salt solution to about 1 gallon of water.
After you’ve submerged your clam in water, allow it to soak for a while, about 20 minutes to an hour. If any clam happens to float in the water, pick it up and dispose of it immediately as it is already dead and unhealthy for consumption.
When you have soaked your clams in water for a while, look at the bottom. You will notice sand. Remove the clams individually from the bowl and avoid pouring everything through a strainer as you will mix them up with sand. You can now go ahead to scrub your clams with a brush to clean them of dirty
Finally, rinse your clams after scrubbing them with water.
How long will clams live in the refrigerator?
One reason why we buy groceries and other things in bulk is so we can make use of them when the need arises without having to go to the market or grocery shop to buy them. Also, to ensure that they are available and fresh for usage when needed, hence the need to store them properly in order to extend their shelf life. In this case, the clam is no different.
There are different methods we can implement to extend the shelf life of clams, whether cooked or fresh. Some of these methods are
- Freezing: When we get fresh clams from the bay or water, we can either freeze them in their shell or shuck and rinse the meat properly under flowing water or tap. After that, you can now drain your clams in a strainer, place them in airtight vessels, and freeze them. As for shelling clams, you should rinse thoroughly and place them in a plastic bag and then in the freezer compartment.
- Refrigerating: This method is applicable to both cooked and fresh clams. After cooking, put your clams in a container and place them in the fridge. They can last up to four days in the refrigerator. However, make sure not to freeze cooked clams, as they can get slimy. You can also place your fresh clams in breathable plastic bags and place them in the cool part of your fridge. Ensure not to place them close to your fridge doors.
Why are clams so expensive?
Clams are one of the resources going extinct as they are diminishing rather quickly. Of the mollusc family, soft shell clams were one of the most sought after in Maine some years ago. The Record put forth that they were worth over $15 million at the dock.
One major factor contributing to the rise in prices of clams is interest, especially demand in the local food sector. Also, digging clams in frigid weather has contributed to the high cost. You can also attribute its high cost to its delicious bites.
How many pounds of clams do I need per person?
Most people have the mindset that preparation of seafood is somewhat tedious, hectic, difficult, whatever word they use. The truth is that it is not as difficult as they make it out to be. All you need is to know what to do and when to do it, what to add and when to stop, and you’ll find yourself craving seafood preparation all the time.
Also, seafood is highly nutritious and provides some of the basic nutritional benefits to humans and animals. You can choose to serve clams as an appetizer or as a main course. So if you are contemplating the quantity you should serve per person, consider a half pound per person when serving as an appetizer or a pound when serving as a main dish.
Are dead clams safe to eat?
First things first, you should never eat uncooked seafood or shellfish, as it is dangerous. They may contain bacteria that have been ingested from their habitat, and this bacteria may be harmful to health.
In the same vein, you should never tempt fate by consuming dead clams. You may not know what killed it. It may have died due to a virus, and cooking will not destroy the virus. Consuming these dead clams can transfer this virus to you and cause cell breakdown, which might even lead to your end.
Clams may have had a brush with raw sewage, thus exposing them to hepatitis A or norovirus. Do not eat them, as you may get what you bargained for.
Can you eat clams from the Chesapeake Bay?
It is highly advisable to avoid consuming clams or seafood gotten from untested water bodies.
However, at Chesapeake Bay, you can get three clam species: the soft shell clam, quahog, and the stout razor clam. These clams are versatile, hence making for a complex and savory chowder flavor. So we can say that clamps from the Chesapeake Bay are edible.