WDFW provides razor clams to the Washington Department of Health in order to test for domoic acid. The maximum level of domoic acid in razor clams is 20 parts per million.
When should you buy clams?
Put your clams in a bowl with a towel in the fridge if you’re not cooking them right away. They should be kept for up to four or five days if you cook them sooner.
If exposed to warm temperatures, this tradition began when shellfish were prone to spoiling. Quality is one of the reasons for the r month rule. The summer months of May through August feature the spawning of oysters and clams. They become soft and watery because of spawning, making them less tasty than shellfish that are harvest in cooler months.
Finding clams on the beach
The blooms can happen at any time of the year, but they are related to warm water temperatures during the summer months. You should be safe from eating bad clams during blooms if you pay attention to local warnings, because most state and local agencies close beaches and restrict harvesting during blooms.
Live clams can be kept in the refrigerator for 2 days. The fresh clams should be kept in a porous bag in the refrigerator. If you don’t have cloth bags, store in the fridge with a wet cloth, not on ice. They will die from lack of oxygen if you store them in plastic or water. If they are fresh, clams can be used within 24 hours, but should be refrigerated for a few days. Throw out fresh clams with broken shells, and clams that do not close when tapped. Touch the siphon neck to get live clams andgeoducks. If it moves, it’s alive; if it’s not, discard it. The clams can be put in a pot of water as a test.
In the Cook inlet, clamming is open year round. From April through September is when most digging takes place. In the early summer, the best time to eat a clam is before July-August spawning.
When you pound the beach with a shovel handle, you will see clams at the edge of the surf line. Sand and water can be squirted from the hole they are located in. razor clams dig fast in the soft sand of the surf so you need to be quick.
Are clams available all year round? Northeastern hard-shell clams have a seasonality that’s similar to other shellfish. They’re fattest in the spring and late fall. They are very different from oysters and mussels in how they burrow in their habitats to stay out of harm’s way. The shape and movement of the shell helps the clams achieve this by complex muscle movements from their tongue-like foot. They reach the opening of the sea bed with their siphons when they are embedded in the sand or mud.
When are clams in season Farmers can buy clams year-round. The wild varieties can be found from October to June. There are many different types of clams on the West Coast. If you are going to harvest your own fish, you should check state-specific regulations.