Finding and Preparing Cockles and Huge Gaper Clams in the Pacific Northwest

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Join me as I head back to the Pacific Northwest coast for some clamming to rake for cockles (Clinocardium nuttallii) and dig for gaper clams (Tresus capax), also known as empire clams or horseneck clams. Clamming is a lot of fun, but it can be confusing as to how to clean them so in this video I also show my methods for each of these two species. No doubt there are many different ways to clean and prepare clams; this is simply what I have found works well for me. Both cockles and gaper clams are delicious and make for an excellent clam chowder.
Although clamming is usually considered a safe hobby (as long as you are mindful of the tide and surf), I still manage to hurt myself, providing a reminder that it is always important to have some basic first aid supplies available anytime you head out for outdoor adventure! If you have any clam cleaning or cooking suggestions or if you just want to share your own clamming (mis)adventure stories, please leave a comment. Cheers!
My gear in this video:
Timex Ironman Classic 30
Seiko SRPD51
Spyderco Dragonfly 2 Salt

Опубликовано:

4 окт 2024

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Комментарии : 105

@mrsw2923 Год назад

Hearing your children in the background just turned and informitive video into a giant smile. Thank you

@Travelingman724 2 года назад

This is the first video I’ve found that really shows cleaning them. Thank you

@WesternEclectic 2 года назад

Hi Greg, glad it helped! Thanks for checking in.

@Jennifer-gw4ww 2 года назад

Makes my mouth watering, gaper clams are my favorite. Been 16 yrs I haven't had one.

@Aliholic Год назад

as someone on the PNW, I really appreciate your videos good sir. Been getting into foraging lately, and your channel has been a wealth of knowledge about the local species (both salties and freshies). Obsessively watching your back catalogue of videos, happy to see you are still uploading

@oliviaharrington6700 3 года назад

How you only have 3.1k subscribers baffles me, you have a natural ability to provide information to viewers without being condescending or preaching your own beliefs. In 30 seconds you'll have 3.1k plus 1 subscribers.x

@WesternEclectic 3 года назад

Hi Olivia, thank you for the kind words and for your support. I remember being amazed when I first attained 500 subscribers, haha. I had no idea there would be so much interest in my videos. I hope to post some new ones as soon as I get some free time... Thanks again!

@jerlee620 2 года назад

Cool video & rather appetizing. Thanks for the cooking advice. Cheers.

@DoveGirl 4 года назад

Thank you for returning the fish🙋🏾‍♀️🙏🏾🤗

@WesternEclectic 4 года назад

Haha of course. It's good ocean karma!

@DoveGirl 4 года назад

@@WesternEclectic 🤙🏾🤙🏾🤙🏾

@stephaniemaxwell5812 3 года назад

Loved this video and the very good guide through finding, harvesting, and cleaning the clams. Demonstrations are very good, simple and well shot. Your advice is great. Keep your production techniques as simple and effective (!) as possible. So much information, great that you related your experiences, the clams' biology and methods for dealing with the clams. Thank you so much!

@WesternEclectic 3 года назад

Hi Stephanie, thank you for your suggestions and kind words of support. Much appreciated!

@Juju-wk7yv Месяц назад

Those are some big boys! Our clams in Massachusetts are much smaller.

@scottcraig972 Год назад

Thank you. Never new the information you provided. Can't wait to go claming now my father and grandpa used to take me with them clamming for Pismo clams in Newport beach CA. Back in the 60's. Along time ago. !!

@WesternEclectic Год назад

Hi Scott, glad to hear it helped. Good luck clamming!

@4llyz.a 3 года назад

I got horse clams for the first time yesterday and was looking for way to clean them. I have watched tons of videos on RU-vid, but your method is the best. Thank you for posting your video.

@WesternEclectic 3 года назад

I'm glad it helped. Congratulations on getting some clams!

@gus473 4 года назад

👍 Amazing clams! Especially appreciate the skin removal tip! Thanks for another great video! 😎

@WesternEclectic 4 года назад

Thanks Mike!

@gus473 4 года назад

@@WesternEclectic You're welcome! Also got a kick out of your child's audio at the end! 😄👏

@westcoaster3763 4 года назад

Great video. Thanks

@jasonjones6428 4 года назад

I randomly ran across your channel and I have to say that was a fantastic video. Probably the best clam cleaning video I’ve seen. I live in Fresno, CA, and make frequent trips to Half Moon Bay and the central / northern coast for fishing, clamming and foraging. Plus I’ve been metal detecting fir years. I have a Whites MXT and A Minelab Etrac. You have a new subscriber!

@jasonjones6428 4 года назад

Oh, and I see you are a follower of The Hunter GT’s channel. I’ve hunted with him a number of times. Good guy.

@WesternEclectic 4 года назад

Hi Jason thank you for the kind words! Always nice to hear from someone with similar interests. Keep in touch!

@WesternEclectic 4 года назад

I've only communicated with The Hunter GT a bit via RU-vid, but he has a great attitude and I've enjoyed his videos. It's very cool that you've had the opportunity to do some detecting with him!

@lyidacampbell7755 3 года назад

The Gaper clams are huge!!🙂🧛‍♀️❤🦪🦪👍✌👋

@6stringgunner511 4 года назад

GREAT video 👌😁!!! Good to see another video from you. Have a great week and be safe out there. BTW, Neosporin that thumb.😉

@WesternEclectic 4 года назад

Great to hear from you and thanks for checking in! Yep, before I left the coast I stopped to get Band-Aids, rubbing alcohol, and Neosporin. I didn't film the part where I dumped alcohol on my cut and screamed like a girl in an 80s horror movie... Probably for the best.

@gogan3429 3 года назад

Great video. A pea crab. I was wondering what those were. Excellent

@WesternEclectic 3 года назад

Thanks for the kind words, and I'm glad you enjoyed the video!

@ScottCarpenter-o3o 8 месяцев назад

I soak my gapers in freshwater for 2-3 hours before cleaning them. You will be surprised how much the necks stretch out.

@WesternEclectic 8 месяцев назад

I will give that a try next time. Thanks!

@jim9990 Год назад

If you want a more mild taste for the cockles you should clean them before cooking. I like frying them for a few minutes per side. I also live by the ocean so I keep them submerged in salt water for 2-3 days. I change the water every 24-48 hours to keep it clean and oxygenated. They have gills so as long as the water is oxygenated they will open up and filter feed. This blows all the sand out of them.

@WesternEclectic Год назад

Hey Jim, thanks for the suggestions! I will give this a try next time I get some cockles. One issue I have with cockles is that the meat is tougher and chewier (at least compared to gaper clams). Maybe this is because they overcook when I steam them(?) I've never tried cleaning them before cooking as you suggested.

@lizafajardo 7 месяцев назад

🎉🎉🎉

@cl4s624 4 года назад

Enjoyed the video amazing catches keep up good work

@WesternEclectic 4 года назад

Thank you!

@tombreault1096 3 года назад

Awesome video and definitely makes me want to get into clamming! New sub here!

@WesternEclectic 3 года назад

Thanks! Glad to have you onboard.

@great-grandmakirk8828 4 года назад

Awe I wanted to see the little crab.😩

@Knutacious 3 года назад

yeah, what happened to crabby?

@FishKepr 2 месяца назад

We frequently find them in razor clams. They look like tiny Dungeness crabs but pale in color. They’re kind of cute so we keep them for a while and toss them back into the water.

@themudbugjuggler9912 4 года назад

Great clam video! I wish I lived a bit closer to the coast. I live on the Hudson River, and we can't eat our clams yet. The river is making a comeback, but it's still too polluted to eat the clams. It is fun to dig for them, even though they're very small. Just to know they're there for the future. What the heck with your finger?! That clam bit back. Yeesh. Keep a cheapo pair of gloves in the car, and stick 'em in your back pocket on future trips. $15 of prevention is worth more than the blood loss and annoying pain for several weeks to months. I did the same thing with my left big TOE. Had to see the local podiatrist. Bunch of mud, gunk, and algae got shoved under the nail when I slipped at the river, and it broke on a smooth surfaced rock. And then slid down it. I shudder at the memory. I think the treatment hurt worse than the initial injury, lol. No more open toed sandals for me. Keep an eye out for infection. Always great to see a post from you, and it was awesome to hear your youngster end the video. As always, thank you for sharing.

@WesternEclectic 4 года назад

Hi Amanda thanks for checking in; it's always great to hear from you. Glad to hear the Hudson is improving and I agree that it's nice to at least see clams in the river. I assume that's a good sign as far as the water quality is concerned. And yeah, I hadn't planned to dig gaper clams so I didn't bother bringing a pair of gloves. Doh! From now on I'm going to follow your advice and just keep a pair in the car just in case. That toe story makes me shudder too just thinking about how painful an infection can be... Ouch. Anyhow, I hope all is well in NY. Take care. -Michael

@321CatboxWA Год назад

Nobody I know in WA calls Hoarse clams anything but ever . Where are you from that folks call them Gapers ? The Gaper clams I know of are found on dry land and the east coast . ty 4 posting

@WesternEclectic Год назад

Interesting! I'm in Oregon and the ODFW (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife) calls them gapers, so I guess that's where I got it from. According to the ODFW they're also called empire, horseneck, and blue clams. (I once had a local lady tell with me that she had found empire clams, and she was convinced they're something totally different. I'm pretty sure they're not.) I think maybe the ones you're referring to on the East Coast are what I call softshell clams(?) Anyway thanks for checking in and letting me know.

@321CatboxWA Год назад

@@WesternEclectic Blue = Butter here , very good taste ,just ate some . Happy digging !

@grancitodos7318 7 месяцев назад

Mussels often have those small crabs inside, they taste good.

@WesternEclectic 7 месяцев назад

Seriously? I mean, I'll eat just about anything, especially from the ocean, but I've never eaten a pea crab. Another viewer commented that they taste good; I thought that person was just messing with me. How do you prepare them?

@grancitodos7318 7 месяцев назад

@@WesternEclectic I steam open most shellfish, so I just pick them out cooked and eat them whole.

@WesternEclectic 7 месяцев назад

@@grancitodos7318 Ah, OK, got it. They still don't look too appetizing, but then again neither do the gaper clams. I'll have to try them next time I steam clams!

@Exploer8591 2 года назад

Great video. Very informative. Do you purge the clams before you clean them?

@WesternEclectic 2 года назад

Hi Kevin, glad you enjoyed the video and thanks for checking in. Good question and no, I don't purge the clams. When I clean them, all of the other organs get removed anyway so it's not necessary to purge them like it might be for smaller clams where the entire thing is eaten.

@ArmenAbdyl 2 года назад

It’s fine

@ashleyyarbrough1333 4 года назад

Can't wait to go on the beach soon I'm at my braking point

@WesternEclectic 4 года назад

I hear you! I really miss getting outdoors for clamming, crayfishing, metal detecting... I hope we can get back to it soon!

@kazjakorotczuk9530 3 года назад

New sub here great videos am enjoying watching it

@WesternEclectic 3 года назад

Thanks Kazja!

@ajourejohnson Год назад

Almost looks like goeyduck

@Sarah_707 4 года назад

I want to do this so bad but the beach in Mississippi is empty

@WesternEclectic 4 года назад

Bummer! Come visit the West Coast sometime!

@outdoors445 3 года назад

Where is the footage on how to spot a gaper?

@WesternEclectic 3 года назад

Oh! You're right--I never showed in this video how to spot a gaper clam "show" to indicate where the clam is. Typically, you'll see a hole in the sand about the size of a nickel. I'll try to show this in a future video!

@gurnblanstein9816 3 года назад

Great video! So after you steam the cockles to get them open are they cooked or do you need to cook them further?

@WesternEclectic 3 года назад

Good question! At that point, they're cooked. It doesn't take much. If you overcook clams, they end up with the consistency of rubber bands and you can hardly chew them. Speaking from experience....

@carakintz3536 Год назад

Awesome video! Love eating clams, but cleaning them 🤢 grosses me out!

@WesternEclectic Год назад

Thanks Cara, and I agree about the cleaning part. The process of going from gaper clam to chowder isn't very appetizing. Then again, come to think of it, the process of going from cow to ribeye steak probably isn't either....

@jefferylorsung8846 3 года назад

The easiest way to get the skin off is to soak them in luke warm salt water for 30 minutes. It peels right off.

@WesternEclectic 3 года назад

Cool, thanks for the tip! I'll have to give it a try sometime.

@singwithmychannel1704 3 года назад

I’m looking for cockles clam, but could not find it. Where is this beach ?

@WesternEclectic 3 года назад

This was the central Oregon coast. What types of clams did you find, if any? Best to ask around and get local advice depending on your location. Good luck!

@evanbarger5994 Год назад

Is this in Washington or Oregon?

@WesternEclectic Год назад

Hi Evan, this was on the Oregon coast.

@jessicahammond1368 3 года назад

A scallop and the abductor muscle on a clam is COMPLETLY different! A scallop is a scallop.

@WesternEclectic 3 года назад

Hi Jessica. You're right: Gaper clams, cockles, and scallops are definitely different species, but the point I was trying to make is that it's the same muscle. From Wikipedia's entry for "scallop": "The word "scallop" is also applied to the meat of these bivalves, the adductor muscle, that is sold as seafood." Sorry for any confusion.

@jessicahammond1368 3 года назад

@@WesternEclectic ahh, i see. Thank you for the clarification! That muscle on a clam was my favorite to eat as a child! Lol love the videos! You have a new subscriber!

@WesternEclectic 3 года назад

@@jessicahammond1368 Cool! Thank you for the kind words, and I'm glad to have you as a subscriber. Keep in touch!

@1911geek 3 года назад

Keep them in the fridge why? Purge them in their sea water get the sand out

@WesternEclectic 3 года назад

Good point. I just keep the in the fridge if I can't clean them right away so they stay fresh.

@vladka22 4 года назад

Can I keep gaper clams in the fridge for 1-2 days before cleaning?

@WesternEclectic 4 года назад

I believe it would be fine to keep them overnight or for at least a day. You'll want to keep them cold and damp, but not submerged in water. For transport in the cooler I keep them in a bucket with a damp cloth over it and I've never had a problem. Good luck!

@vladka22 4 года назад

@@WesternEclectic thank you for the reply. They still seem alive and I will clean them. In the future can I keep them in the sea water for overnight? Is it just fresh water that kills them?

@WesternEclectic 4 года назад

@@vladka22 That's great! I hope you enjoy your clams. And my understanding is that even seawater isn't great, since they can run out of oxygen fairly quickly when stored in water.

@turners_teefies 4 года назад

Any location suggestions in Oregon?

@WesternEclectic 4 года назад

Hi Andrea, there are lots of good places to go clamming along the Oregon coast. I'd suggest you start with the ODFW website as they have great information, including some maps. There is also a book entitled "Clam Digging & Crabbing in Oregon" that has maps and other good information. Don't forget your shellfish license. Good luck!

@tvietnam7890 4 года назад

Which location is this? I live in Seattle I would like to go to this beach please share!

@WesternEclectic 4 года назад

I usually don't share my spots publicly. I definitely don't mean to be rude by not specifying the exact locations, but I would rather just show the techniques and allow people to research and discover their own places to go clamming, crayfishing, mushroom hunting, etc. Having said that, I will mention that this was on the central Oregon coast, so quite a drive from Seattle. But from what I understand, gaper clams are fairly prevalent all along the coast so I assume there may be some good locations in your area too (and you may even have access to some species--like oysters--that we don't have here). Good luck and have fun clamming!

@ZiggityPow 3 года назад

Dash Point has gaper clams.

@gurnblanstein9816 3 года назад

Where are you digging these?

@WesternEclectic 3 года назад

Hi Gurn, thanks for watching. This was on the central Oregon coast. I prefer not to post my exact locations publicly, but if you're in the area and thinking about going clamming, feel free to send me an email at westerneclecticbusiness@gmail.com and I can get you more details.

@gurnblanstein9816 3 года назад

@@WesternEclectic I understand that's good enough I'm actually on the Washington coast I'm hoping to find a good spot somewhere around grays harbor where I live. Great video by the way you sound very professional.

@WesternEclectic 3 года назад

@@gurnblanstein9816 Thanks and good luck!

@joannfinley1428 3 года назад

what beach are you on?

@WesternEclectic 3 года назад

Hi Joanne, this was on the central Oregon coast. I typically don't like to post the exact locations of my spots publicly, but if you are in the area and would like some more detail, just send me an email (you can find the address under the "about" tab on my RU-vid channel).

@asifurrahamannaem7077 4 года назад

Sir i wanna need ur help

@lanbui5196 3 года назад

Bắt ốc đâu phải đi nói không xem chán quá, bớt nói lại đi

@chelsefuentes6671 2 года назад

I tried to watch this but the fact he had a cut and did this without gloves… no bueno

@WesternEclectic 2 года назад

Haha, it was totally bueno.... I didn't contract any clam-borne diseases, anyway.😁

@hanmouse3275 3 года назад

Inside the stomach is very delicious

@WesternEclectic 3 года назад

Wait... Really? Well, I suppose when you eat an oyster or small clam you do eat the whole thing. Or do you mean it's delicious when it's inside your stomach, in which case I agree! 😋

@hanmouse3275 3 года назад

Don't waste its

@hanmouse3275 3 года назад

Waste food