Emergeny Cockles Help
I just purchased fresh cockles for the first time. It's kind of freaking me out that they're alive and I must properly take care of them or else they've make people really sick tomorrow.
The problem? I don't know how to take care of them. I just came home and put them in a bit of ice water. Was that a good- or bad- move? Some of them didn't close when I took them out of their package, which I'm prett sure is a bad sign- so I threw them out. Will those affect the others? Also, how should I store them over night? I know I have to scrub them, they were quite dirty, but should I do anything else to clean them tomorrow?
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5 Comments:
Found this:
"Store live shellfish in a shallow dish covered with damp towels or paper towels. Never put live shellfish in water or in an air-tight container where they could suffocate and die."
"Mussels and clams in the shell (live) should be used within two to three days; oysters in the shell, from seven to ten days. Some shells may open during storage. If so, tap them. They will close if alive; if not, discard immediately. "
http://www.ceoe.udel.edu/seagrant/outreach/seafood/fresh.html
Asado at 6:07PM on 09/04/09
yes, keep them out of the water.... if your fridge is not super cold, take some ice, put it in a plastic bag and set your cockles on top.... they will be fine tomorrow...
pooch at 8:58PM on 09/04/09
I was lucky enough to be able to go to cooking school in Italy a few years ago. We made avongolé, which is spaghetti with clams. They had us put the clams in shallow water, so they could reach the top to breathe. When I do it at home, I just put them in the refrigerator in a bag with a wet paper towel or a little water in the bottom or in a cooler with the same and alot of ice.
Good luck!
carolrsfMISSESTEXAS at 9:29PM on 09/04/09
I agree that they should be stored on ice and out of water, but I soak my clams for an hour in water with a little bit of cornmeal to remove mud. The idea being that they will ingest the cornmeal and excrete any mud or sand in their bellies.
yayfood at 10:01PM on 09/04/09
Thank you for all the great advice.
I didn't have enough time earlier to do a thorough internet search on how to store them. I ended up just dumping all of them in a big bowl of water and putting them in the refrigerator. I kept checking on them and they were dying. I threw out at least seven when I remembered to check my post. Once I did, I dumped out all of the water, put them on ice, and put them back in the refrigerator. They seem to be fine now. Serious Eats saves the day ... again.
PumpkinBear at 10:50PM on 09/04/09