I personally try to get them the day of but I would not go more than 1 day. I just don't like to risk it.

I agree that it's better to not buy too far in advance but depending how far you are from the sea, in a lot of stores that don't sell such items in large volumes, what you may find over a short series of days may have all arrived in the same delivery anyway. If you want to be sure, check with them a few days in advance and ask when they get clam deliveries.

For any shellfish, and for salt water fish too, there's an important test before you buy. Especially for shellfish, smell it before you buy it. Even if it's behind a counter (and not self-serve as at Costco), tell the person you want to take a sniff. Fresh seafood should smell like the ocean and not fishy. If there's anything even slightly resembling a fishy smell, no matter how mild, I don't buy it. It's not a matter of safety, it's a matter of taste - fish needs to be very fresh to be most enjoyable.

Most of the clams and mussels we get in our area are farmed. I avoid that for fish and especially for shrimp/prawns but for these shellfish, there isn't much choice.

Good luck and I hope you catch what you want!

Here you have to pre-order them. Other option if you have an Asian store is to check their frozen section or depending on what you are making use canned which some stores sell either with the tuna or with the various ethnic foods.

The clams and mussels in our area are delivered and sold alive. Maybe only marginally so but not frozen. I shudder at the thought of frozen clams, are they cooked first and then separated from the shells? I'm not sure how you'd deal with them otherwise, clams and mussels accumulate a lot of sand and they need to be soaked in water for awhile and rinsed before cooking. How could that be done if frozen in the shell?

Canned clams are okay for chowder but not for normal use.

Not having purchased them and the package was not written in a language that I understand the only thing that I know is that they are in their shells and they are frozen. The ones seen though the bag appear to be open.

I would check with the store and see when they are delivered. It's likely they are NOT being delivered daily, so if they are delivered on Thursday for the whole weekend, then buy them Thursday. But if they are delivered on Weds for the whole weekend, then they'll be just as fresh if you buy them on Weds.

I have a friend who owns a shellfish farm and gives me fresh mussels often. She says she assumes 5 days for perfect freshness after harvest. She ships all over the country, so they have to last a few days to make that work.

If you are far from the sea, then I'd be much more cautious. Keep them cold but out of the water, as they will drown in fresh water and you want them alive.

Olychick, your post was so helpful!!

I just called and they get delivery today and Wed., so I'll buy them on Wed when I'm already going to be out and have more time, than on Thursday.

Hahaha! I took a look at your avatar/profile pic. You are NOT a nasty woman!!