Clams can be harvested by lifting the mesh bags they were grown in off the bottom or by raking or hand scratching out of the sediment. In the United States, clams are mainly harvested from Maine, New Jersey, and Virginia. Business owners can earn between $100 and $200 per half-day, depending on effort and clam availability.
Types and Tools
Various tools like long-handled spades or shovels are used for clam digging, which involves harvesting clams from tidal sand or mud flats where they live. Some species of clams are commercially and recreationally harvested on US coasts. Shells vary in shape and should close readily when tapped. Soft-shell clams do not fully close as the neck often sticks out. The movement of the neck indicates the clam is alive. Avoid eating clams with broken shells. Clam meat should be creamy tan with a firm texture and mild smell.
The Pacific razor clam inhabits sandy beaches along the Pacific West Coast down to 30-foot depth. Razor clams are soft-shelled but the shell edges are sharp enough to cut. In Oregon, licensed harvesters commercially gather razor clams, dating back to the 1800s. Bay clams like cockles and butter clams are mainly recreationally harvested in season.
Commercial Harvesting and Species
Wild hard clam fishermen and some farmers use a "jerk rake" to manually pull up clams. Clams are then graded by shell depth or shucked and canned. They should have firm texture, sweet/salty flavor, and substitute well with scallops and oysters. Buy live clams last and keep them cold.
Three clam species are commercially harvested in North America: hard clams, soft clams, and surf clams. Hard clams are sold by the dozen in sizes like:
- Chowders, the largest, usually chopped for chowder
- Cherrystones, used whole in cooking or raw
- Littlenecks, usually eaten raw
Hard clams also sell shucked, while soft clams sell live, canned in shell, or fresh-shucked for frying. All clams must stay refrigerated or frozen.