| Mussel, Clam & Scallop
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escription: The blue mussel is the most common mussel
found along the Pacific coast. Its shell is dark blue and usually 5 cm (2
inches)to 7.5 cm (3 inches) in length. The meat ranges from creamy-tan to
brownish-orange in colour with a texture that is tougher than that of a clam or
oyster. Its flavour is rich and sweet.
The spiny scallop and pink
scallop both have distinctive fluted, fan-shaped shells that are ivory and pink
in colour. While adult scallops reach about 85 mm (3 1/3 inches) in size, a
minimum size limit of 55 mm (2 inches) measured through the longest diameter of
the shell perpendicular to the hinge is in effect for both species. The meat
colour ranges from ivory to pinkish-white and can have a tender yet sometimes
chewy texture. Its flavour is sweet and moist.
Product
Forms: Most shellfish are available live, fresh (shell-on or shucked)
or frozen. Scallops are almost always sold shucked because they cannot close
their shells completely and thereby lose their moisture very quickly once they
are taken out of the water. Canned mussels, smoked mussels, canned clams and
clam jerky may also be available.
Availability: Farmed and wild shellfish are available
year-round, although wild harvests may be interrupted in the summer during
spawning.
Buying Tips: Mussels: To ensure that mussels are alive
and fresh, look for tightly closed shells or shells that snap shut when tapped.
Avoid mussels that have broken shells, feel heavy (they are usually full of
sand) or feel light and loose when shaken (they are usually dead). Shucked
mussels should have plump meat with clear liquid. Smaller mussels will be more
tender than large ones.
Clams: The shells of whole
clams should be tightly shut, heavy, moist and have a slight briny aroma. Avoid
shells that are chipped, broken or damaged. If a shell is slightly open, tap it
lightly and if it doesn’t snap shut, the clam is dead and should be discarded.
Shucked clams should have plump meat with clear liquid.
Scallops: Fresh scallop
meats should appear shiny, firm and hold their shape. They should have a sweet
and briny aroma. Avoid scallops that smell sour or of iodine. The meat colour
should be ivory to pinkishwhite. Avoid scallop meat that is stark white since
this is an indication that they have been soaked in water to increase the
weight.
Storing Tips: Mussels: Mussels can be kept alive for 3
to 4 days when properly stored. They should be stored dry in a refrigerator
below 10?C (50?F). Do not immerse in water; avoid temperature variations, and;
ensure the product is able to breathe and drain.
Clams: Clams can be kept
alive for up to 7 days when kept at 1?C (34?F) and sprayed regularly with
fresh seawater. Ensure that live clams can breathe by storing them in an open
box or sack.
Scallops: Fresh scallop
meats should be stored in muslin bags and buried in ice. Ensure ice is changed
frequently to prevent spoilage. Fresh scallops should be eaten within a day or
two. Store frozen scallop meats at -29?C (-20?F).
Processing
Method: Shellfish can be steamed, baked, deep-fried, pan-fried or
battered. They are often used in soups, chowders, stews, paellas, pastas,
casseroles and canapes. Avoid overcooking shellfish as meat will become tough
and grainy if cooked too long. If the shells of live shellfish do not open
during cooking, they are either not cooked through enough or are bad and should
be discarded.
Preparation/Usage: Just before cooking mussels, soak
them in cold water for about 20 minutes to reduce the amount of sand and salt
stored inside of the shells. Then remove the beard and scrub the shells. A whole
mussel will be cooked when the shell has opened, although mussels will open
before they are cooked all the way through.
To prepare clams, soak them
in cold water for about 20 minutes to reduce the amount of sand and salt stored
inside of the shells. Then, remove the sand and ... cont top
right
debris from the shells with
a brush. Whole clams will only take a few minute to cook and will be cooked
through when the shells open. Cook gently to avoid toughening.
When preparing scallops, do
not overcook so that the succulent flavour is preserved. They will only take a
few minutes to cook and are best when cooked until the outer surfaces turn
solidly opaque. Do not overcrowd scallops in a skillet or they will give off
their liquid and will be poached rather than sauteed.
Area of Origin and
Range of Availability: Most of these shellfish species are found on the
west coast of North America from Alaska to California. In British Columbia they
are harvested predominantly on the west coast of Vancouver Island and in the
Strait of Georgia.
Harvest
Volume: British Columbia annually produces about 2,400 tonnes of clams
(wild and farmed) and 90 tonnes of scallops (wild and farmed). While limited
information is available for mussels, it is estimated that a total of 10 tonnes
of mussels are harvested annually. Approximately 35% of the clam harvest and 45%
of the scallop harvest comes from shellfish aquaculture.
Harvest
Method: In British Columbia, mussels, clams and scallops are both
harvested in the wild and farmed using aquaculture. As examples, cultured
mussels are harvested from rafts or longlines, usually by hoist and winch; wild
clams are handpicked using rakes, and; divers harvest wild
scallops.
Processing Method: Once harvested, shellfish is
declumped (if farmed), cleaned, graded and shipped live to market. Most scallops
are then shucked to preserve the freshness and moisture.
Markets:
Most British Columbian shellfish is exported to the United States and
Asia.
Sustainability: Minimum size limits, daily harvest
limits, area licensing and time and area closures are currently in place to
manage the wild clam commercial fishery. Fisheries and Oceans Canada
discontinued commercial scallop licences at the end of 1999 due to concerns that
the scallop fishery, as a whole, was data limited and there were few controls in
this fishery. Currently, however, a closely monitored experimental scallop
fishery exists which lands approximately the same amount of product as the
unmonitored fishery of previous years. While the shellfish farming industry is
being closely monitored for its environmental interaction, shellfish farming is
on the increase and estimated to double by 2010.
Historical and
Anecdotal Information: Archaeological findings note that mussels have
been used as food for over 20,000 years. While mussels are harvested in the wild
in British Columbia, a pilot project was carried out in the early 1980s to
determine the potential for growing blue mussels. This was met with several
obstacles which are slowly being overcome. Now blue mussels are being cultured
on a small scale and on the verge of developing into a larger fishery.
Scallops have been harvested
commercially in BC since 1982 and continues today as an experimental
fishery.
While littleneck clams
account for about 10% of British Columbiaˇ's intertidal clam harvest, Manila
clams account for more than 65% of the harvest. Manila clams, like the Pacific
oyster, are not indigenous to the Pacific Northwest but were accidentally
introduced. Some clam seed was inadvertently included with Pacific oyster seed
brought from Japan in the 1930s, and the first specimens were found in Ladysmith
Harbour in 1936.
| NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
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| Per 3.5 oz/100 grams of raw edible portion
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Blue
Mussel
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Mixed
Clam
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Mixed
Scallop
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| Calories
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86
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74
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88
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| Total fat
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2.24
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.97
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.076
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| Saturated fat
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0.43
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0.09
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0.08
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| Protein
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11.9
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12.8
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16.78
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| Cholesterol
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28.0
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34.0
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33.0
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| Sodium
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286.0
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56.0
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161.0
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| Source: USDA
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