One of the foods that can be purchased globally is clams even though it is recommended to try them out on the coast when they are fresh. A type of seafood delicacies is clams and they may be linked to have acquired tastes for some people because they usually seem odd.
You cannot always eat foods straight from their shell and you can prepare clams in several ways. They get their unique flavor from each of the preparation methods and creating clams can simply not go wrong. You wouldn’t need to mind any certain process or risk of growth of bacteria.
To prepare clams, you must be ready to put in some work and pay attention to the preparations, you wouldn’t want to eat undercooked or raw clams. Can clams be frozen? It is not recommended that you should freeze cooked clams, however, uncooked clams can be frozen and saved for later. The process is not too difficult, but you need to follow some details to get it done.
What we have for you in this article is a guide that will show you the step-by-step process for freezing clams. To make sure that your clams are safe, you have several details to take note of. We have you covered with everything you need to understand and know about how your uncooked clams can be safely frozen. You need to continue reading to get all you need to know about freezing your clams and how to also generally work with them.
The Guide to Freezing Clams
We do not recommend freezing of cooked clams but you can try it out because they could be safely frozen, but the textures are most time jeopardized when cooked clams are frozen. You will likely end up having rubbery or soft meat if you freeze your cooked clam and we are certain that you wouldn’t want the texture and taste of cooked clams gone if you freeze them.
Once you detect that you are working with too many clams than can be eaten by you, try to separate them first before you cook them so that you will not result in cooking more than needed. In addition, if you are left with leftovers, they can be stored inside your refrigerator for up to two to three days and should be eaten within that period.
Raw Clams
Tasty raw clams have been found to be very delicious and they are usually served at dive bars and top-notch restaurants. They are usually eaten raw and there are several ways to slurp them such as using a shot to chase it or adding it to hot sauce. There are a lot of things you are to know when you are dealing with clams, especially raw clams.
They easily accommodate the growth of the bacteria Vibrio vulnificus, a bacterium found in oysters and raw clams. In addition, you may be unable to detect if clams have the bacterium on them and it can cause a person to go very sick when they mistakenly ingest it. It is only a risk associated with taking raw shellfish, this does not necessarily mean that it is common. The reason why we brought this up is that we want you to be aware, once you cook the clams, any threat by the bacteria will be eliminated and that will be much safer to eat.
Cooking with Clams
You have several options when you want to cook clams. To start with, they can be baked, steamed, or boiled. They can be seasoned and added to several dishes. They can even be grilled or you may create your way of making them. They can be quite exciting even though it seems like they are boring. Check below for some of the ways clams can be made:
- Fried clams
- Clams can be used to make up Cajun seafood that is boiled with prawns or shrimp
- Add them to broth or soup
- Heat them in butter seasoned with garlic
- You can add them to toppings of pizza
- Clams together with spaghetti or some other types of pasta
- Clam chowder
The listed above are just some of the suggestion by which you can enjoy your clams, there are still many other options which you could search for to get the ideas for your own recipe. Most of the options require you to remove the clams’ meat from their shell. We also have some dishes that you can cook clams in their shell and then you can remove the shell when you want to eat your dish, the shell is not to be eaten when you are trying to eat the clams. Whenever you want to eat the clams from their shell, it is either you sip them out from their shells or your fingers are used to bring them out. You should use the fingers by pulling the meat from the shell and dipping it as it pleases you and putting the whole thing into your mouth. When the clam is inside your mouth, eat or chew it just like any regular food that you usually eat.
Freezing Clams
The process of freezing is usually a very simple one but you have to be aware of a lot of minor things. For example, we have already told you that we do not recommend freezing your cooked clams and this will make our main focus to be on how you can freeze uncooked and raw clams discussing the process associated with it.
There are two methods that can be used to freeze clams and either of them works just fine. It is either you freeze them inside their shells or you should shuck your clams. The only difference between the two methods is that shucking your clam will give you softer meat when you want to use it but both of the methods are safe and will give great results when they are cooked.
Freezing Clams Out of Their Shells
- Remove your clam meat from within the shells i.e. shuck your clams
- Clean your meat very well as you run it below cool water. Wash each of the meat individually so that all can be cleaned.
- Put the clam meat inside an airtight container or freezer bag.
- Seal the device of storage you used, label it, and write the freezing date.
- The meat should stay fresh inside your freezer for about four months.
Freezing Clams in Their Shells
- Firstly, check if any of the clams have open shells, discard those that are already open because that is an indication that it is dead.
- Put the clams inside an air-tight freezable container or freezer bags.
- If you have used freeze bags, remove any excess air.
- Seal the package, label it, and write the date you are freezing them.
- Your clam can last for about four months when frozen with their shell in your freezer.
Whenever you freeze clams with their shells, ensure you check them occasionally before they are completely frozen so that none of their shells is opened before freezing. If you notice any open shell, remove it from the freezer when you find it.
Using Clams After Freezing
Clams don’t usually need excess time to thaw, if your clams were shucked before they were frozen, you can use them directly from your freezer. Check below for how you can thaw you clams:
- Move the clams from the freezer into the fridge and leave them to defrost overnight or between six to eight hours.
- If you want a quick method to thaw, rub the clams below cool water. You can also put them inside your sink and run cool water over them. It could take a little while.
You can then proceed to use your clams by cooking them. As long as you have followed our processes and tips, you have the assurance that the clams can be taken for consumption and you can eat your dish deliciously.
Related Questions
It is certain that this guide has been useful for you and you can now freeze your clams without stress. We have put much information up there and it was just to tell you that you need to take caution when freezing your clams so that they will be safe to be eaten. You should check below for some of the commonly asked questions and we have provided some answers to them. You might find some of the information valuable.
Are Clams Healthy Food?
There are numerous nutritional benefits in clams just like in some other seafood. Clams are usually high in vitamin B, magnesium, iron, zinc, and they are also high in a constituent of protein and a very low constituent of fat.
Are Clams OK to Eat After They’ve Died?
When clams are cooked, they will die and a clam that is dying does not denote that it has become worse and cannot be eaten. However, a dead clam could cause the spread of bacteria to some other clams and this is the reason you are recommended to discard any dead clam.
