Opening Clams vs. Oysters, a Poll and a chance to voice your opinion!!

[Roccus7]

Was reading a newspaper article about the boom in business for NJ oyster farmers now that COVID restrictions on restaurants are being lifted and this snippet, oysters’ easier-to-shuck cousin — the clam caught my attention.

IMO, if you're armed with a proper oyster knife and a holder or Kevlar shucking glove, it's 10x easier to shuck an oyster than a Littleneck or Cherrystone with a proper clam knife, of course, especially if they've just come out of the water. I can get the oysters opened quickly and with no "pre-treatment". For the clams, they immediately go into the freezer for 20 minutes before I start shucking and even then, there are always a couple that force me to use the laborious, through the back door, break the hinge, opening trick. Now if the clams have been sitting in the fridge for > 3 days, I find them to begin to be as easy as oysters.

OK, let's hear your opinions and take the poll!!

 

[Chinacat]

Clams were always way easier for
I finally learned how to correctly do oysters last year so I would saw both are relatively easy peasy to me?

 

[Macks]

One thing for sure you will rarely see clams opened corectly,most people cut thru them and mangle them all up,
the membrane should be intact and covering the clam on the half shell..

 

[JackPrintMD]

Clams for me but the wife does it.

 

[dsedy]

Clams for me.

 

[movetheboat]

I can do both equally well right handed for clams and left for oysters

 

[Old Mud]

Fresh, Oysters if they sit in a market 3 days clams. Both Right handed for me.

 

[george]

Oysters by far.

 

[BennyV]

The right tools make all the difference.

 

[Roccus7]

Fresh, Oysters if they sit in a market 3 days clams.

That's my observation too. If I'm doing clams on the half shell, I bring them up from my lobster car or my personally seeded area, 2-3 days prior to my trying to shuck 'em, and even then, they go in the freezer for 20 min prior to seeing the knife. Oysters get shucked right out of the water...

The right tools make all the difference.

Yup, I'm a firm believer in "the right tool for the right job". I learned how to properly open oysters in my college "Advanced Invertebrate Physiology" lab, where the prof pulled out all the different oyster knives and I immediately selected the bent tip East Coast version.

 

[Old Mud]

Hey that's another thing. All you'z folks down in New Yok have me calling then clams. They are Quahogs. Cherry stones, Little necks and bulls. Up here we havs clams (softshell) as in Ipswich clams. Dug on the flats (Mud) .Unless your from Pismo beach.

 

[Chinacat]

Hey that's another thing. All you'z folks down in New Yok have me calling then clams. They are Quahogs. Cherry stones, Little necks and bulls. Up here we havs clams (softshell) as in Ipswich clams. Dug on the flats (Mud) .Unless your from Pismo beach.

Hey, Ummmm watch it there Mr. Mud. Before you go trashing us New Yawka's, please take notice that the fellow who started this thread and called them clams in the first place fancies himself a Maineah'

 

[Roccus7]

Hey, Ummmm watch it there Mr. Mud. Before you go trashing us New Yawka's, please take notice that the fellow who started this thread and called them clams in the first place fancies himself a Maineah'

True dat, but the article with the quote that set me off was the NY Times, so it was hard shell clams being referenced. I did define with the size nouns: Littleneck or Cherrystone with a proper clam knife AND I never claim to be a Maineah, as I'm not a third generation born Maineah.

Without that genealogical claim, nobody can claim to be Maineah, and my Maine street cred is bolster by that. Nothing drives a true Maineah more crazy is when a PFA (Person From Away) claims that they're a Maineah because they have lived here for a few years...

Back to Maine and Clams, I did report a significant die off of quahogs to our town's Shell Committee and their official response was, "Oh, Quahogs aren't clams that we're interested in" validating Mud's irate response...