This is my favorite time of year to eat steamed clams.
This is my favorite time of year for farm raised or wild collected clams, just a little sandy, no mud.
The water is still easy to see into around the inland bays if you are collecting your own. Seasonal clamming is still open in Delaware. This seasonal “season” is from December 1st to April 15th. The areas seasonally approved are in yellow on the clamming map in the Delaware fishing guide.

I prefer middlenecks to littlenecks. The problem is sizing clams is not an exact science I am told by a fish monger friend of mine. Those little necks with their thumbnail sized tiny clam is just not enough, they are for pasta sauces and garlic sautés. Want some real meat in your clam go middleneck or up. Clams Casino is great with the larger middlenecks and up.
If you want an easier way to collect your clams there are two great options for locally collected and aquacultured clams.
Rehoboth Bay Oyster Company on the Forgotten Mile or follow them on their Facebook page
Friends Clams & Oysters LLC out of the Marina in Lewes on the weekends and follow their Facebook page for announcements and specials.
Both of these companies are growers of sustainable shellfish. They also carry farm raised clams and wild collected as well as the oysters they grow.
They, like other watermen in Delaware work together to support their industry and each other.
The clams are excellent. I’ve been eating a dozen a day for a week.

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