Clams are a delicious and nutritious seafood option, but have you ever cooked a dish like stir-fried clams or clam hot pot only to find sand inside? It can be extremely frustrating and ruin the entire meal.
If you’ve experienced this issue, it’s likely because you haven’t tried the following techniques to get clams to spit out all the sand.
Check out this video to see how it’s done.
1 Method 1: Soak Clams with Salt and Chili
Chili is known for its spiciness, and when combined with salt, it can be very effective in making clams spit out sand. This is the most common method for clams, scallops, and cockles.
Simply wash the clams and soak them in a bowl of water with a little salt, and add a few slices of chili.
After 1-2 hours, the clams will be unable to handle the spiciness and will spit out all the sand. Rinse them again with clean water, and they’re ready to be cooked into delicious dishes.
2 Method 2: Soak Clams with Salt and Vinegar
Start by soaking the clams in salted water for about 2 hours. The salt creates a relaxing environment for the clams, causing them to gradually open their shells.
Boil some water, add vinegar, and then put the clams in. Stir gently, and the sand will be released from the clams.
Once the clams are cooked, remove them from the pot and use the meat to create mouth-watering dishes.
3 Method 3: Shake the Clams to Release Sand
When buying clams, choose fresh ones. They should feel heavy, and there should be no unpleasant odor.
Place the clams in a basin of water and soak them for about an hour to get them to open their shells. Then, vigorously agitate and rinse them to remove any sand or dirt from the exterior and interior.
Transfer the clams to a container, add a small amount of water, close the lid, and shake vigorously and for an extended period. Afterward, fill the container with water and soak the clams again.
This method may seem unusual, but it’s incredibly effective. Give it a try!
There’s no need to repeatedly rinse and soak the clams to remove the sand. Simply choose one of the three methods above, and the clams will spit out all the sand. These techniques also work for scallops and cockles.
Reference:
When purchasing clams, select larger ones with firm shells that are not cracked or broken and have no foul odor. Check out this guide for more tips on choosing the best clams: [Guide to Choosing Delicious Clams].