Seeing the canned clams post reminded me that I took some pictures last season to help some friends at work that were new to clam digging. There's more than one way to do it, this is the way I do it.
First: Get you family out there, kids love it.
For the fall/winter evening tides, I bring my clams home from the beach in a bucket of seawater. When I get home, I dump that and replace with freshwater and either add ice or put in the fridge. It's usually late so I clean them in the morning. I keep the clams cold from sand to freezer, just the way I was taught. Leaving them overnight in icy freshwater does a few things, they clean out, stretch their necks out, and die.
I start by carefully sliding my thumb between the meat and shell on the zipper side.
Then, using a thin blade I separate the shell from the little button muscles. Repeat both sides.
Snip off the tip of the neck and save for sea perch bait if you want.
Then using scissors, cut up the zipper and through the near side siphon tube. Repeat for the second siphon tube so the neck lays out flat.
Now, you need to remove everything that is not clean, white meat. I use scissors to split the foot and remove the off color stuff, but not the fluffy cream colored meat.
I use cold running water to rinse it out.
Carefully pick any remaining slime membrane and you should end up with a clean clam in one piece. ready for freezer or dinner.
