Posted by TOM KLEMAN on May 25, 1998 at 19:20:37:
In Reply to: Re: Freezing Mollusks posted by Hartmut Kuntze on June 01, 1997 at 03:32:41:
: I toured a restaurant the other day and noticed a bag
: : of cherrystone clams in the freezer, bag and all. I
: : know they were fresh when they came in, they were from
: : the company I purchase from. I have used NZ baby
: : scallops that came frozen, but have never heard of
: : anyone freezing fresh shellfish in the shell before.
: : Has anyone done this? Is it safe? Does it make the
: : product tough? Chef Bob :-)
: Chef Bob,
: actually mussels and clams and squid, while being considered shellfish, belong to the family of mollusks. While preferrable fresh, they are quite acceptable in the frozen stage. Better than overaged in the "Fresh Stage".
: Sincerely,
: HWK, CMC
CORRECTION. AIs it SAFE to steam the clams, remove them from the shell and then freeze them for future use?