should i rinse canned clams

Fresh clams are a thing of beauty, but canned clams should have a place in your pantry. They are healthy, affordable and can take that plain pasta from drab to fab. Here’s everything you wanted to know about canned clams.

Plenty of people turn their nose up at canned seafood, preferring to eat only fresh. Clams are no exception.

And while I’m the first to dig into a bowl of chowder festooned with meaty clams in their shells, I also make space in my pantry for the canned variety. Bottom line: there’s room for both in your repertoire.

Besides just getting rid of dirt and grime that could have made its way into your canned clams, some brands contain additional additives and chemicals for storage and preservation. Rinsing your clams can help remove these, leaving you with just the tasty seafood.

When shopping for canned clams, its essential to read the labels carefully to ensure that youre getting a high-quality product. Look for cans that contain only clams, clam juice, and salt. Avoid products with added preservatives, artificial flavors, or excessive sodium. Opting for clams packed in their natural juices without added preservatives ensures a fresher, more authentic flavor.

Canned clams are a convenient pantry staple for seafood enthusiasts and busy cooks alike. Theyre already shelled, cooked, and ready to go. However, when it comes to preparing them, the question of whether or not to rinse them before use often arises. The answer largely depends on the intended use of the clams and their salt content. For many recipes, rinsing canned clams isnt de rigueur but helps prevent unforeseen flavors from being present in the final dish.

If the clams are particularly salty, a quick rinse under cold water can help to reduce the saltiness, preventing the dish from becoming overly seasoned. This is especially important when adding canned clams to recipes with other salty ingredients, such as bacon or cheese. Rinsing allows for better control over the overall salinity of the dish, ensuring a more balanced flavor profile. However, not all canned clams are excessively salty.

Depending on how extensive your search for canned clams is — theyre readily available near the canned tuna and salmon in most supermarkets — or the depth of the selection at your local store, you may notice both chopped and whole clams. While both are quality choices for a variety of recipes, you may find that whole clams are a bit more delicate in texture and sweeter in flavor. If this is desired, you can swap them out for the chopped clams in your recipe or even chop them yourself.

Some brands offer clams packed in natural juices with minimal added salt. In such cases, rinsing may not be necessary at all, as the clams already have a balanced flavor. Instead, cooks can simply drain the clams from their liquid and incorporate them directly into their recipes. Or, for recipes like clam chowder where maximum clam flavor is desired, the clam juice can be added along with the meat.

Canned vs. Fresh Clams

For briny ocean flavor and tender texture, it’s hard to beat fresh clams. You’ll find an entire post about buying, cleaning, and cooking fresh clams here. As for canned clams, they have much to offer the home cook.

• First, the canning process cooks the clams, so they need no additional cooking once you crack open a can.
• Canned clams are shelf-stable, which means they’re at the ready when you are.
• Plus, there’s little food waste (versus fresh clams, where a least a few duds tend to show up in every batch).
• Canned clams are also a budget-friendly source of protein. A recent scan of supermarket prices found chopped clams cost between $3 and $5 for a 6.5-ounce can. Fresh tends to be pricier, particularly when you consider that the by-the-pound price means paying for the weight of not just the clam meat, but the shells, too.

It’s frankly hard to beat the convenience of turning a tin or two into a pasta dinner or bowl of soup.

Linguine with Canned Clams – Cheap, Easy, Delicious

FAQ

Should you wash canned clams?

Can you use the liquid in canned clams?

Can I eat clams right out of the can?

What’s the best way to eat canned clams?

Should you rinse canned clams?

Some people feel that it’s best to rinse your canned clams in cold water before digging in for a tasty snack or using them for cooking. That can help keep them clean. At the same time, others feel that rinsing could dilute your clams’ flavor. To help you decide which camp you fall into, it pays to know the full arguments for each stance.

How do you cook canned clams?

Heat butter in a skillet and add minced garlic, sautéing until golden and fragrant. Stir in a splash of white wine and let it simmer for a minute. Add the canned clams and cook for a few minutes until heated through. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and squeeze a hint of lemon juice over the top.

What can you eat with canned clams?

Plenty of recipes work well with canned clams. CHOWDERS AND STEWS: Minced, chopped, and whole baby clams add a pleasing bite to a bowl of chowder or seafood stew. Some recipes call for a combination of canned and fresh clams, such as in this Manhattan-s tyle chowder.

Should you cook canned clams before cooking?

Overcooking canned clams can make them rubbery and tough. It’s best to add them to your dish just a few minutes before it finishes cooking so they can gently heat through without becoming chewy. If you’re making a soup or stew, add the clams towards the end of the cooking process.