Safe to eat clams?
Nadia Volgakova
Victor Sack
> A friend told me clams caught in certain seasons shouldn't be eaten. Is
> this true?
In the spring and summer months, certain bivalves, including some clams,
mussels and oysters, spawn, expending much of their energy. Their flesh
becomes much blander and 'thinner'. Also, once harvested, they tend to
spoil in hot weather very fast if they are not refrigerated. There is
nothing to prevent you from eating them if they have been treated
correctly otherwise.
Victor
Puester
>
> A friend told me clams caught in certain seasons shouldn't be eaten. Is this true?
Not true, but it IS certainly true that clams from
uncertified waters should not be eaten. Many clam
flats that have been dug for years are now polluted
with dangerous organisms, heavy metals, etc. due to
sewage and storm drain/industrial outflows.
Don't dig in waters you don't know. Check with
local health authorities before you dig and watch
for posted signs.
gloria p
Alan Zelt
>
> A friend told me clams caught in certain seasons shouldn't be eaten. Is this true?
Your friend was probably referring to oysters, which are generally
available only in months with the letter "R".
--
Alan
"If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion, and
avoid the people, you might better stay home."
--James Michener
Dennis P. Harris
> A friend told me clams caught in certain seasons shouldn't be eaten. Is
> this true?
It depends on the source of the shellfish. Filter feeding
bivalves can accumulate plankton that are toxic, a phenomenon
known as paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP). Commercially dug
clams should be from beaches certified to be PSP-free.
Commercially farmed oysters are tested (growers don't want
liability).
PSP is a common summertime phenomenon in northern latitude, where
the plankton that creates the toxin cause a condition known as
"red tide".
Sometimes happens in the Pacific NW and New England, common in
northern BC, Alaska, and Canadian Maritimes. Here in Alaska,
folks don't go clamming from May to September unless the beach
has been certified very recently.
http://www.state.ak.us/dec/deh/seafood/psp/home.htm
It's best to test shellfish by feeding some to an animal (the
standard test used to be with lab mice) if you're not sure. You
can reduce risk by keeping clams in a bucket of seawater and
feeding them cornmeal for a day. They will siphon it in, and it
will help expel any PSP plankton from the clam's digestive
system.
The Wolf
alz...@worldnet.att.netFINNFAN wrote on 7/1/02 9:04 PM:
> Nadia Volgakova wrote:
>>
>> A friend told me clams caught in certain seasons shouldn't be eaten. Is this
>> true?
>
> Your friend was probably referring to oysters, which are generally
> available only in months with the letter "R".
That's a patently false wive's tale.
--
=================================================
Remove elvisp to reply, he has left the building.
=================================================
Billy
>That's a patently false wive's tale.
..........try getting oysters in June, July and August.........
<vbg>
rms
says...
>
>The Wolf <elvis...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>>That's a patently false wive's tale.
>
>..........try getting oysters in June, July and August.........
Mostly, these days, because no one will buy them. Why isn't it
"a r" instead of "an r". Is this an official rule of English?
Because "r" sounds like a pirates "Arrrrrh".
I suppose it depends on which side of the equator you live on too.
Winter is here, there. rms
Alan Zelt
And you are patently of little knowledge. In the "R" months, to
particular events transpire: reproduction and warmer water. As a result,
the oysters are not as firm, somewhat mushy. With the exception of those
that are raised in very cold water, say around BC, they are not
generally served or eaten.
The Wolf
alz...@worldnet.att.netFINNFAN wrote on 7/7/02 10:14 PM:
> The Wolf wrote:
>>
>> in article 3D212753...@worldnet.att.netFINNFAN, Alan Zelt at
>> alz...@worldnet.att.netFINNFAN wrote on 7/1/02 9:04 PM:
>>
>>> Nadia Volgakova wrote:
>>>>
>>>> A friend told me clams caught in certain seasons shouldn't be eaten. Is
>>>> this
>>>> true?
>>>
>>> Your friend was probably referring to oysters, which are generally
>>> available only in months with the letter "R".
>>
>> That's a patently false wive's tale.
>> --
>> =================================================
>> Remove elvisp to reply, he has left the building.
>> =================================================
>
> And you are patently of little knowledge. In the "R" months, to
> particular events transpire: reproduction and warmer water. As a result,
> the oysters are not as firm, somewhat mushy. With the exception of those
> that are raised in very cold water, say around BC, they are not
> generally served or eaten.
Hey Bozo, I am secure in my knowledge of seafood. The original post said
they couldn't be eaten in those months which is a PATENTLY FALSE WIVES TALE.
Quality issues are up to the individual.
Martin Golding
> in article 3D2920D1...@worldnet.att.netFINNFAN, Alan Zelt at
> alz...@worldnet.att.netFINNFAN wrote on 7/7/02 10:14 PM:
>> And you are patently of little knowledge. In the "R" months, to
>> particular events transpire: reproduction and warmer water. As a
>> result, the oysters are not as firm, somewhat mushy. With the exception
>> of those that are raised in very cold water, say around BC, they are
>> not generally served or eaten.
>
> Hey Bozo, I am secure in my knowledge of seafood. The original post said
> they couldn't be eaten in those months which is a PATENTLY FALSE WIVES
> TALE.
Before one can eat them, one must acquire them. One cannot eat Louisiana
oysters in months with no 'r' when the shippers refuse to ship them.
We are, accordingly, moving the Fish Fry back to the end of April. It's a
risky balancing act between the Fall of the Rule of Oysters and the Rise
of the Crawfish Dynasty. In a well-designed world, they would rule in
harmony.
Martin
--
Martin Golding | Forty pounds of crawfish will feed 16 normal people
DoD #236 | or six Cajuns.
fog...@attbi.com Portland, OR
Alan Zelt
Bought a couple of pounds of crawfish at Mutual Fish in Seattle a couple
of weeks ago. Fixed them Finnish style. Boil them in dill, then let them
"marinate" in the dill water, while leaving the pot in the fridge. Serve
cold with either/and aquavitt and vodka.