When talking about superfoods, one of the best in the category is Clam. You can eat them raw or half-cooked; you can eat them however you like and still get that dose of Vitamins, Proteins and Omega-3. Their nutritional benefits are summarily out of this world.
According to some studies, clams have anti-cancer properties; they don’t destroy cancer but keep it at bay. Clams are also known to have an amazing rejuvenating effect, so all of those in their 40s can feel like 25 again. With all of its amazing benefits, saying that clams once a day could very well keep your doctor away isn’t wrong.
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Why Should You Soak Clams?
Clams are tasty and nutritious, but cooking them is a whole different problem. Clams are normally found in sandy beds saturated with grit. The main reason for that is the half-opened shells of clams and systems that have developed in salty seawater.
You mainly have to soak your clams to remove the salt and sand from their systems. If you don’t soak them, you will ruin your meal with the distinct taste of salt and seawater. You may also find grains of sand moving around in your mouth with every bite that you take.
Soaking them in any medium that does not have salt will purge them of all of those impurities. If you go to any normal restaurant’s kitchen, you will most likely find fresh clams in a bucket filled with saltwater. You probably understand how important soaking your clams are.
How to Soak Clams
Soaking clams is as easy as soaking rice or any other food item. You need some Clams to start with, a bucket, and some liquid you want to soak your clams in. The method of soaking is also pretty much easy.
You take your clams, put them in the bucket or tub, and pour in the soaking medium. The volume that you have to put in depends on the medium that you are using. Wait for the clams to filter out all of the sand and grit.
Once that is done, you can remove your clams and get them prepped for cooking. You can use them to make Kokoda or some delicious Clam BBQ.
Soaking Clams in Water
The easiest medium to soak your clams in is water. You should soak your clams in either freshwater or saltwater. People usually use saltwater to give the clams the same saltiness as freshwater. You should not submerge the clams completely in the saltwater.
Just pour in enough salt water so that it reaches the mouth of the clams. Leave them to soak in the saltwater for 20 to 30 minutes. By the end of that period, the clams should have filtered out most sand and dirt.
You can also use fresh water to soak your clams. The soaking period for clams in both freshwater and saltwater remains the same. You should find a layer of dirt or gunk at the bottom of your container after a while.
How Long To Soak Clams
The length of the soaking period for clams should remain between 30 minutes and 12 hours. You can try to soak them for longer, but it is futile and useless. Mostly clams purge out all of the dirt and gunk in 30 minutes, so there isn’t any point in waiting too long.
Can You Soak Clams Overnight?
Yes, you can soak your clams overnight, but just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should go about doing it. Normally you can start cooking your clams after soaking them for 30 to 40 minutes. If you want to soak them overnight, then please keep them in a cool place, preferably a refrigerator.
After the overnight soak, you will find a lot of dirt at the bottom of the container that they were placed in. Remove the clams from the container, rinse them and cook them.
How to Soak Clams Fast
You don’t need a separate quick soak method for clams because, normally, you can get perfectly soaked clams in less than 30 minutes. Compared to the rest of the soaking times, 30 minutes isn’t much at all. Finding or trying to find a quick soak method, in this case, is redundant.
If you want to skip the soaking process completely, then you can get some canned clams. If you want to skip the whole cooking process along with it, then buy some pre-made clam servings. You can get some Progresso New England Clam Chowder or Campbell’s Homestyle Clam Chowder to get the best clam experience.
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