How to Identify a Steamer Clam

Steamer clams, also know as softshells, longnecks or Ipswich clams, provide the mainstay of New England clambakes and are easily accessible. Native to the eastern coastal regions of the United States, the shape and size of edible steamer clams identifies them to diggers, as well as the softness of their shells.

Things You'll Need

  • Clam bed
  • Bucket
  • Shovel or clam rake
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Instructions

    • 1

      Locate a clam bed. Find these beds in the tidal mudflats of coastal regions in the eastern United States.

    • 2

      Find the clam "show," or the small holes made in the sand by clams as they expel filtered marine water. The show appears at low tide.

    • 3

      Begin digging carefully at an angle into the show. Steamer clams burrow from 3 to 8 inches deep and their thin shells are easily broken if struck by a shovel or clam rake.

    • 4

      Verify the clams as steamers by their oval-shaped, 2- to 4-inch calcium carbonate shells with concentric circles. Steamer clams also sport a long "siphon," or neck, which aids in identification.

    • 5

      Harvest your clams and enjoy.