Are they Geoducks??
Main clams like little necks are just like "regular" clams but because they live on the other side of the Cape Cod peninsula are exposed to colder conditions and grow differently and, some say, taste better.
Linda C

Oh, no, absolutely not geoducks (gooeyducks). Could be, Linda, you've just answered my question as to what they are, which is little necks that grow in colder and more northern waters. I am just curious as to taste and also as to why the twice-priced little necks are just that, twice-priced.

Could be it's little more than "curb appeal." If it tastes good, and is essentially the same clam as its more southerly cousin, it's a good value. Thanks!

A hard shell clam from Maine, which looks much like a littleneck except for the color of the shell, is often sold under the name mahogany clam. The shell has a dark brownish or mahogany color rather than the grayish, whitish shell of the littleneck. They are considerably cheaper than littlenecks. The reason, in my opinion and apparently others too, is that they don't taste very good. I can't describe the flavor as it has been years since I tried them. I like every other type of clam I have eaten, five or six kinds, but not those. If they taste good to you, they will be a bargain.

No, there are no geoducks on the East coast, which is unfortunate. But we are well supplied with other good clams as well as oysters, mussels, scallops and other shell fish.

Jim

Steamers (or pissclams as they are sometimes called) are the native clams in Maine. Having grown up there, I have eaten my share and probabaly some of everyone elses LOL! I LOVE Maine steamed clams.

First off - they are soft shell, NOT hard shell, and they seem to have a slightly larger neck to squishy stuff ratio than their hard shell kin. They make superior fritters, fried clams and chowder. If you have ever eaten "clam strips", most likely they are soft shell clams since there is more "meat" left when you strip off the bellies.

The reason more people are not familiar with them is they have a VERY short shelf life unlike Mahogany, Little neck, Cherrystone, etc which the very nature of the hard shell prevents them from dehydrating as quickly in shipment or storage. Soft shell clams dehydrate VERY quickly by comparison.

Be forwarned... they do have an ugly foreskin on the necks that must be removed prior to eating. It is quite unpleasant and could easily turn you off for life. However, if you have access to FRESH soft shell (and I do mean soft chalky shell, NOT like soft shell crabs) clams they are the most divine morsels you can imagine.

Alexa

Here is a link that might be useful: A bit about pissclams

I was born in Maine, and go back to visit family whenever I can afford to take time off work (not nearly often enough), and there are three meals that I always MUST HAVE when I go back. Fried, whole bellied clams. Lobster. And a big mess of steamers...the soft shelled clams.

In Maine, many people have special pots in which to cook the clams. These pots look something like enameled canners or stock pots, but they have a spigot a few inches above the bottom, like that on an iced tea jug.

After steaming the clams (well, boiling, really), they are served by the big bowlful, with another big bowl for the shells. Two small bowls are provided each clam-hungry diner, one of melted butter, and another with clam broth. This is what the spigot is for, to pour out clean clam broth in which to swish the clam.

These clams tend to be sandy. So, you scoop one out of the shell, pull off the tough, outer skin from the neck, and then swish the clam in the clam broth to get the last bits of sand off it before dunking it into the melted butter on it's way to your mouth. The spigot allows you to draw clean broth, as the sand that has come out during steaming settles to the bottom.

YUM!

Thanks for all the input. I do believe Jimster has it; they're Mahogany clams. I'm guessing it's a regional peculiarity that they're called "Maine Clams" here. What others describe as Maine Clams are not what we see here billed as such in NE PA. One thing for certain, they are cheap, right around five dollars for a bag of fifty. But their appearance, geez, I dunno if I can get past the shell!

Um, yeah... the Maine natives describe them accurately. We had them last year on our trip to Maine. I'm afraid I was turned off for life by their appearance.

I can't blame the "Maineiacs" for their enthusiasm in responding to this thread. I'm crazy about clams myself. Clams were one of the important factors in attracting me to Cape Cod, first as a vacation spot, then as a retirement home. We have four clams here; quahogs (the familiar hard clam, called littlenecks, cherrystones, chowders, etc. depending on size), steamers (soft shelled clams, also used as whole belly fried clams), razor clams (meaty and good, you can't buy them, dig your own), surf clams (dredged by the tons and sold as clam strips and canned clams).

The site linked below provides loads of accurate information in a user friendly format. I think you will have fun browsing the site. Notice all the good oyster information. Especially appropriate to this thread are the suggestions for preparing mahogany clams.

Jim

Here is a link that might be useful: North Atlantic Shellfish

"These clams tend to be sandy."

Yea - but there is an easy way around that. The fish market I work at used to "feed" the clams cornmeal.... you end up with fat happy clams that are "pre-stuffed" and don't have any ick in the bellies. I do eat clams with bellied regardless of the contents, but I do prefer the cornmeal ones.

Diana - I am LOLing at you! Sorry you found them off-putting, but I can certainly understand why. They are a little fearsome to look at.

Alexa

Anyone who has not eaten soft shelled clams should probably have them first as fried clams. (Be sure you don't order strip clams.) The appearance is somewhat disguised by the breading or batter and I will bet you get hooked on the flavor. After consuming them this way several times, move on to steamers. Dipped in butter, they are terrifically tasty and tender.

When I dig steamers, I hang them from a dock in a mesh bag for a day. They expel all the sand. It is often recommended to keep steamers in water (usually with salt, but Euell Gibbons says fresh) with a handful of cornmeal for a couple of hours to desand them. I can't vouch for this. Purchased steamers should have been desanded already. Never desand hard shell clams. Just clean them with a brush and running water immediately before cooking or eating raw.

Jim

Jimster's link is great. Thanks. After checking Mahogany Clams there, I'm half tempted to give them a try just steamed. Interesting to see cornmeal mentioned as a de-sanding agent. An old friend of mine always swore you needed to soak clams in oatmeal and water to force expulsion of sand. I always figured he was working with an "old wive's tale" more than anything else. Maybe there is something to it.

I felt like I was participating in a bris with each clam.