One of my favorite seashells are clams, make a soup and the gingery taste of it taste so good. But before you can enjoy eating clams, you must thoroughly clean it first to remove the grain of sand.
Here's how to clean the clams:
1. Tap clams on the side to see if they are still alive. Clams that do not close when tapped should be thrown away.
2. Place the clams in water with salt (about 1/2 cup per gallon) for 2 to 3 hours in order for them to "vomit" the grains of sand and grit that still be found inside.
3. Thoroughly wash the clams prior to cooking. If necessary, scrub them in order to loosen barnacles on the shells.
4. When cooked, discard the clams that remain closed. Clams that are alive will open when cooked.
It is very important that the mussels are alive before cooking, dead mussels can be unsafe to eat and might be poisonous or will irritate your stomach.
Here's how to clean the mussels:
1. Thoroughly clean mussels by washing and scrubbing them to remove dirt and grains of sand.
2. Pull the beard from the mussels by using one's fingers, or use a kitchen knife as an alternative.
3. Tap mussels on the side to see if they are still alive. Mussels will either close or open when tapped.
4. Mussels that are already open prior to cooking should be discarded, they are already dead. On the other hand, discard mussels that remain closed even when cooked, they are also already dead and should not be consumed.
When scooping some bagoong, always be sure to use a dry spoon or scooper to prevent possible spoilage.
If these are not available, leaves and blossoms can be used instead, such as the young and tender alibangbang leaves (bauhinia), mango leaves and young tamarind blossoms.
Another tip is to always check if any of these vegetables show signs of spoilage. If there are, use these first and remove the bruised or spoiled part.
