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When walking/fishing the grand river I see a lot of clams in the shallow, rocky sections. They are of course alive and healthy, often with their tongues (probably not a tongue) sticking out.
Has anyone tried eating them?
Chopped , breaded and fried/baked?
Chowder?
Or are they unedible?
Thanks in advance for any knowledge you may impart.
I had to look this up, I hadn't thought of these since I was a kid (68/69) and took a bucket home for my Mom to cook. She told me they couldn't be eaten because the Grand river was far too polluted.
Turns out they are endangered now.
more info: http://www.ontario.ca/environment-an...yed-lampmusselQuote:
The Wavyrayed Lampmussel is a medium-sized freshwater mussel that lives in mainly gravely riffle areas in the middle reaches of the Grand and Conestogo Rivers. The female of this species has evolved a minnow-shaped lure that it uses to attract a host fish, the smallmouth bass. Clear water may be a critical requirement for successful reproduction and this may explain why the range of this mussel is becoming limited in southern Ontario.
Actually you shouldn't eat fresh water clams they are known to have what I think is called a Fluke.
The wavyrayed lampmussel is not the clam I see in the grand river. These are clams, not mussels and look like a normal clam about 5 to 6 inches long. Oval shaped.
MikePal - your mother may be right - the river may be too polluted, however I have eaten pickeral from this area and they taste good.
Greatwhite - I'll look into "Fluke". thanks.
Yes but fish eats bugs and fish, clams eat by filtering the water thus they carry a lot more contaminants (if present in the water of course). Never heard of this fluke?? please educate me
A fluke in the context above is a parasitic worm, go fishing in Maine and you will catch 'Fluke' a type fish related to Flounder, try to get a good mulitmeter and you will find Fluke electronics sells them, and if you want some trucking you could use Fluke transport. And that's a fluke (LOL).Quote:
Originally Posted by Trilynx
I took a survival course many years ago. The instructor suggested freshwater clams are edible but make sure the water isn't stagnant. He suggest we boil the clams then change the water and boil them some more. Them remove from the shell and pan fry in butter. Well how many things that are considered tasty would you boil twice. Exactly!
I did try the process and I couldn't get past the very rubbery texture of the clam. They seemed tasteless as well.
so I guess a proper survival kit includes a stick of butter ;-)Quote:
Originally Posted by DanO
I saw a lady with a bucket of clams , at a northern lake. If I remember correctly , she put a handful of oatmeal in the water with them. This irritated them and they flushed any sand or crap out. Probably changed the water, and left them a while longer , before cooking. Don't know how they turned out. old 243
Thing is one will eat just about anything in survival mode where as day to day may pass on such thing. Once a friend of the family took me fishing as a kid. Pulled up to a sand flat on Simcoe dove in and brought up some clams. Don't remember eating them myself but he got the to eat. Not saying its a good idea but have seen it done.Quote:
Originally Posted by DanO
Throwing in some oatmeal or cornmeal is also a trick used in the maritimes.
might be wary of grandriver clams given the water quality and population density. :S
good luck.
If it's on time,,, it's a Fluke! A little trivia, who owns it and what else are they famous for?Quote:
Originally Posted by Marker
Ok who's going to be the first to blow the whistle on this one?[emoji6]Quote:
Originally Posted by PaulR
Here is a couple links...no chance I would eat them
http://cottagelife.com/environment/freshwater-clams
http://www.oodmag.com/community/show...hwater-mussels
http://media.zuza.com/7/1/719cdb0e-d....2_Gallery.jpgQuote:
Originally Posted by PaulR
http://www.ontario.ca/environment-an...g-ontario-fish
Quote:
Clams
Although freshwater clams are often readily available in many Ontario
water bodies, we don’t recommend that you eat them. Clams are filter
feeders and are usually low in chemical contaminants, but for the
same reason, they can harbour harmful bacteria and other pathogens.
If they are not fully cooked, they may cause health problems such as
food poisoning.
From the OMNRF
Yeah the grand river is probably THE most polluted river in ontario, I wouldn't eat a fish out of there let alone a filter feeding mollusk. If you do want to eat them I cant see you getting much nutritional value or pleasure eating a double boiled and fryed clam. Just not worth your time or the risk.
Ron Foxcroft who was an NCAA basketball referee and inventor of the Fox40 whistle. I refereed football in the same association as his son Dave who is now a CFL referee.Quote:
Originally Posted by PaulR
Roe+
From Grand River ??? Never! thats stuff will make you grow 3rd eye . that river is poluted .
An old guy I worked with in Kenora said the best way to cook clams was boil them with a big rock in the pot. When the rock gets soft enough to chew, toss the clams out and eat the rock.
That was also his recipe for loon.
back in my country of origin,Ukraine,when i was a kid like 25 years ago,we used to spend summer days fishing local little rivers and creeks and getting fresh water clams out and fry them in the bonfire all the time-they tasted good
they were much bigger then those from GRiver,yet similar
Works great for Coyote too.....Quote:
Originally Posted by Kilo Charlie
Prob the same guy who told me I could eat the buttons off my overcoat.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kilo Charlie