Puget Sound Gaper (Horse) Clams

[dizzious]

I was up there last summer and was able to dig a few horse clams, a few big cockles, and a huge geoduck. All were delicious and it was possibly the coolest foraging experience of my life. Highly recommend!

[robin]

You are a Old Salt down under that Kokanee skin. I've been digging horse clams since I was knee high to a grasshopper. Hear are some things I've learned from the clam heads. There is two subspecies. One we just call a brown horse clam, the other is called a Gray Neck or Imperial. The locals think the Grey necks are sweeter and bigger. I've learned how to identify them when they are showing there siphon. The brown horse clams usually have a little seaweed growing off the siphon (no bird beak). the Grey Necks have No seaweed on there Siphon and have a hard beak, like a bird beak on there siphon. They are both good eating. Old school way to cook them was to skin them like you did. Then cut the Siphon open longways, it is now a rectangle flat piece of meat. Put it on a board and beat it with a meat hammer. Until is is thin and full of holes like cheese cloth. Should be bigger than a dinner plate. Then egg wash into cracker crumbs and fried quick in butter. It will shrink into a fritter. Serve with tarter sauce. Now days I chop/grind them in a food processor then make a clam patty type burger. ( egg, milk, crumbs, diced bell pepper, ect, , ) Sliced tomatoes on a bun with Tarter.

So many times when I'm at a beach, people are digging those little clams full of sand. And missing the real prize of the sweetest clam fritter. And bunch of pure meat for the freezer/Winter. I have tried to explain to folks the process. Until they see it cleaned or taste them frittered, people will not want dig them. Thanks to you someone is going to start a new tradition of Horse Clam digging.
Thank you, Robin

[patriciaward]

Have dug clams in my past, the stick idea, brilliant

[NorthwestOpenSeason]

My favorite gaper clam recipe is to harvest your limit and then put the clams into your crab pot for bait and turn them into Dungeness crab. 😂 Very cool video. We go get them once a year in Oregon as a family, a lot of work, but makes for a fun day.

[trimbaker]

I've watched the big ole brown bears walk the beach sniffing for them. all of a sudden the bear will raise up and plunge his paws claws strait forward down into the beach, in just a few moments, the clam is being eaten by the bear, hundreds of pounds of muscle and some six inch claws are all ya need! : ) I was up in southeast Alaska back then. Nice to see you getting clams. Right on. ( slice em, smoke em and can them in jars. 90 minutes at 15 pounds inthe pressure canner.) George.

[ShenpaiWasTaken]

Thanks for sharing! It looks like too much work for me personally, but it is really cool to see you going for clams!

[losaturn]

If that's the beach I'm thinking of, I'll bet the long hike back up the hillside was fun with those heavy clams. Lol.

[dougivan]

Tyler you do know we play a drinking game whenever there's a cameo from your chickens?!

[Chris-twjm]

That’s pretty dang cool! Hopefully you’re over here for some baker lake sockeye! Have a great time dude, awesome video!

[brandonteffeteller]

I was just trolling the south end of Harstine for Salmon… Great video sir!

[francismeowgannou]

Must not be easy digging through that rocky mud. Them clams must taste good.

[jelin]

I threw away the "scallop" muscles and foot, not knowing they were good eating. Sigh. Geoducks are still preferred, as they have the most meat.

[BC-ueku]

Geez I mean what’s this video rated for Pete’s sake I didn’t know you could show those on YouTube???😂😂 I prefer steamer clams. Easy to harvest, throw them in some water w/corn starch and they clean themselves, threw em on the grill and they open up to tell you when they’re ready.👍

[kellydaugherty]

Easier than freezing, a quick Blanche in boiling water into a cold bath.

[SteelKill]

Tyler, what sunglasses you sporting? They look cool. Thanks

[themaggie]

Known as geoducks in my neck of the woods unless geoduck is now a banned/canceled word. Another great video. Thank you.

[coreyduberstein]

Gaper is a much better name than what WDFW calls them. Oregonians had the name right all this time IMO. Were you able to lip them like a bass?