Clams and Oysters- Dori (with recipes)

Started out clam digging when we were quite young. Mom and Dad and I and Gary would go over Kapalis and Moclips beaches along Washington coast. We would stay with Aunt Helen and Uncle Harry? If they had there place then or where we stayed. We would wait for low tides to go out and we would go down even by lantern for oysters. We would go down and walk out on the beach and you watch for little dimples the sand and when you see one you start digging. If it is a razor clam you have to dig really fast because they can move really fast only a foot to foot and half below surface. You have a special long and narrow shovel like half of a post digger it’s curved but twice as long. Attached to a small handle so you have to bend over to dig. It doesn’t take very long to get them if you don’t get them in the first couple digs your not going to get them because they move that fast.
They have a sharp shell you have to watch when you grab in the sand I would wear rubber gloves to protect my hands. That is where they get the name razor clams. They are really good for eating, we would clean them really well when we got them to the camp site. So that we didn’t have and grains of sand in them at all, we made clam chowder out of them and “Oh, is it ever good!” We would grind them up on a meat grinder to cook with them.

We dug Horseshoe clams the most. They were wonderful, about twice the size of a razor clam and built more like a gooey duck and slower moving. They weren’t too fast to run away for you and you could dig them with a regular shovel. About 2-3 below the surface of the sand. They made wonderful clam chowder and dip, really good tasting. You had to steam the necks and peel the skin off them. The boys dug horseshoe clams. I don’t think that they dug while Grandpa was alive. He was only over there 3 months before he passed away. They had the property out there for many years. The boys went there to travel trailer before that but not till the big house.

Oysters you pick off rocks and you have to leave the shells on the beach so you can only take the meat away with you. Occasionally you can take the whole shell during the right season. We would have Oyster bakes on a BBQ in the shell. When they were done the shell would pop open and you knew the oyster was cooked. Other wise you have to pry the oysters open and clean them out. I like my Oysters fried like we used to do them. Dori will train you to clean oysters of you ask…and how to fry them it takes a knack ion a seasoned (Old is better than new) cast iron skillet. I asked why, she said they don’t stick like they do on new skillets.

We also dug up gooey ducks. A gooey duck is about quadruple the size of a clam. It is way down in the sand and doesn’t move. You need a garbage pail, old metal. You shore up the side on a dig of a gooey duck because the sand can cave it on you. You use a big shovel it takes a lot of energy to dig them up. They are really sweet meat. One time we went out and dug a patch of Piducks (unsure on spelling). They were a cross between a razor clam and a gooey duck and they were in clay and you needed a crow bar and pick axe to get them out. They didn’t move at all, they were hard to get out but once you got to them they were all over ht e place so we got a lot of them in. It was back breaking work because of the clay. They had a different flavor; you really had to wash the sand off of them. The neck had a very strong sand flavor to it so we used the foot on those, it was sweeter and more tender.

Grandma and Grandma did this up until their 40’s and 50’s. I look at the age I am now and mom and dad did that until their later years. I wasn’t involved when Gary would take the boys clamming with Grandma and Grandpa.

Grandma Anderson’s Clam Chowder (Quick version, no clam cleaning!)
Coming soon!

Clam Dip
1 Clove Garlic 2 /3 Ounce Cream Cheese
1 TBL Mayo 1TBL Worcestershire Sauce
1 TBL Lemon Juice ½ tsp Salt
½ cup (can) Minced Clams, drained but save the juice
1TBL Clam Broth

Mix together, add more clam broth and chill!