Have you tried clam nectar or just clam juice? Pretty much the same thing in just a ready-to-use liquid form. Carried here in grocery stores where you find canned clams.

I do use that but this is a very concentrated paste. It adds a depth of flavour that can’t be compared with the clam broth

LOL!! I'm not sure I have ever needed anything to be that clammy!!

Can you boil the bottled broth down until it's quite reduced or does that change, rather than enhance, the flavor?

That might work. As to being that clammy, I only use about 2 tsbp in a large pot of clam chowde. Have made it withou, and it just isn’t the same!

Well, I think I found a supplier. I placed the order, now I just hope it’s makes it through the border. Cost was more than I wanted to spend but this is my “signature dish” and it really isn’t the same without it. It was still cheaper than Amazon.

Walmart has it in 2-packs. Not sure if they ship to Canada. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Better-Than-Bouillon-Clam-Base-Pack-of-2/326399501?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=101024980&&adid=22222222227353853918&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=440743256861&wl4=pla-915735466935&wl5=9001922&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=244625154&wl11=online&wl12=326399501&veh=sem&gclid=CjwKCAjw4rf6BRAvEiwAn2Q76o3fS7DdcKPeceono5a_ZqKM3qVyY45FjudFoQ5hv1wt0R-iLSQynBoCuycQAvD_BwE

Thanks, I’ll try.

Louise, I have no idea but was curious and found this...fwiw.

https://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/20/Clam_Base_Substitution61547.shtml#:~:text=Clam%20Base%20Substitution&text=To%20make%20homemade%20clam%20base,the%20recipe%20you're%20using.

Thanks, if this doesn’t work out,I’ll try that.

Hold on! Louise!

I just found it at https://www.soupsonline.com/ And the price looked like half the others. IIRC, under $5 each.

I have never used that site, and will take a try.

I recently had DH go out for that bottled juice. I think it was to make pasta with clam sauce. (Pasta al vongole? Close? Where is Nancy-in-Venice?)

would you give us your recipe or at least a description? Pretty please?

Gorgeous September 1st here. My summer was hot, muggy, New England w no visit to the coast or Maine. Covid and Fascist nightmares.

And the catbirds and orioles are diving in to my fall raspberry crop. It can be a tough world.

Should someone pinch me or kick me? Pray that the expiration date is in the far future ;)

What seems like 100 years ago someone gave me a very good book called "The Mystic Seaport All Seasons Cookbook" that includes numerous recipes for clam chowder. I just checked and it has a recipe for "Mike's Clam Chowder Base." It sounds good but is more of the actual soup base with salt pork, onion, potatoes, clams, clam juice and seasonings. Mike owned a restaurant and the recipe makes enough of the base to yield 3 gallons of the finished chowder. He froze the base in 1-quart containers. For serving, he heated equal parts of the clam base and evaporated milk.

Anyway, just thought I'd toss that out here. If nothing else, it's kind of fun to look at this Mystic Seaport Cookbook again. I hope you find a good sub for the Better Than Boullion!

Hey chloe ud. That is really interesting and may. be closest to what I want. It also sounds like a good reference to have on hand!

It wouldn't be difficult to cut back the ingredients to make less. I'd be happy to provide the entire recipe. Here's just the ingredient list. Let me know if you'd like to see more showing the prep.

Roux:

1 pound salt pork

1 very large onion

4 cups flour (approx.)

Potatoes:

5 very large potatoes, peeled, diced into cubes

Water

Clams and Base:

8 cups cooked, chopped clams

3 1/2 quarts clam juice (13-14 cups)

Celery salt, salt and pepper

Evaporated milk (for heating and serving)

There's another recipe called "The BEST Clam Chowder in New England." It's from a place called Turner Fisheries Bar and Restaurant. Says the recipe was "Boston's chowder champ for years before winning the coveted regional title." The ingredient amounts sound more in line with what I'd need yielding 10 servings (instead of Mike's Clam Chowder Base of 3 gallons of finished chowder!). Also, the seasonings include thyme which is something I always add to clam chowder.

in a pinch ... a can of clams zipped in the blender ....?

louise, would you share your recipe?

Hope petalique's post helps!

Here hope it goes

Earls Clam Choder

1/8 lb bacon, chopped

3;4 cup finely chopped onion

1 1/8 cups chopped tomatoes

1 cup celery, dimly chopped

1 1/2 tsp black pepper

1 1/2 tsp thyme, or about 2:tsp. Chopped fresh

1/2 tsp tarragon

1 bay leaf

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup clam base (I use bIt less, it’s really salty)

3 cups creamo (light cream) or 1 1/2 cups milk and 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 cup unpeeled potatoes, chopped

2 10 ounce baby clams, including juice

1 usually add some clam necter and about 1/3 cup dry sherry, such as Dry Sack

in a large sauce pan sweat chopped bacon until almost crispy, about 4 minutes. Add tomatoes, onions, carrots, celery, thyme and tarrogan. Cook until carrots are tender..

in a small saucepan make a roux of the butter and flour.. Add to stockpot. Stir in clam base, cream. And stir and cook until make sure there are no lumps. Add potatoes, clams and clam nextar. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes.

Add sherry, if using.

Hope I didn’t leave anything out. Let me know. I couldn’t copy my recipe so I had to just retype it.

Is that Earls as in Earls restaurant? If so - thank you so much! Earls' soup, salad and bread is my favourite thing to order there. (Since they discontinued the brie/apple/fig baguette!

That chowder recipe looks interesting! I make a good one with no tomato or carrot, but I always hold out the canned clams until it's all finished cooking and off the heat. I then stir in the clams - they get plenty hot - and they are so much more tender than if you cook them so long. Just thought I'd mention it.

Damn....now I have to order some clam base....
And I'll bet it will work with Manhattan clam chowder too.
But I am puzzled as I never saw tomatoes in a creamy New England Clam Chowder.
Are those fresh tomatoes?...or was that supposed to be carrots?

I'm going to have to start looking closer in our stores. I've never seen Better than Bouillon anything here. I'm only familiar with the name at all, because of the CF mentioning it over the years.

Jasdip, Costco in Canada carries it, although I don't remember see the clam, but there's chicken and beef and low sodium chicken at my Costco. Save-On, which I think is only in the West also carries it, so maybe some of the larger grocery stores in Ontario would carry it as well.

Thanks for typing it out, Louise. Sounds like good flavors. The tomatoes are a different addition to a New England clam chowder. I know the grocery stores and Target around here do carry Better Than Boullion. Just don't recall seeing the clam base. Will have to look.

Nekotish, interesting! I always buy the Kirkland Organic chicken broth, it's the best I've ever used. I'll check for the BTB next time and try it. I just checked, and it looks like it's a paste, so there would be a learning curve for me! :-)

Yikes!!!! Looking at the Costco warehouse savings this week, the price of their Charmin TP is $25 for 30 rolls!!! Holy smokes!

Yes, it is a copycat of Earls restaurant clam chowder. And it is delicious. I agree, I forgot I usually do wait to add the clams until last, just adding the juice before to make sure the consistency is right. Yes, the tomatoes are fresh and the carrots are also added. It certainly isn’t the same as I grew up with, but every time I serve this I get rave reviews and usually asked for the recipe. It’s a bit fussy to make with all the chopping and such though.

FWIW, I thought Better Than Bouillon is vegetarian/vegan?

And I think there is a typo in the recipe: what's 'dimly chopped'?😉

There is likely more than one typo. Meant to read finely chopped

I have ordered from soupbase.com, but I don't know if the ship to Canada. I use both crab base and lobster base in quite a few recipes, but of course I always omit salt when using these.

Here's a Canadian site that might be able to help you, but you will have to contact them. I actually prefer Minor's soup base to Better Than Bouillon, but I use both of them. I also buy a higher end brand at a restaurant supply store.