I was staring at the scariest food I had ever seen. Joe's Bar was not a place where a college kid could survive sending a dish back to the kitchen, and I was hungry and now broke. Somehow I got up the courage to swallow one of the disgusting slimy gray things, and I liked it. I still do. Clams can live 30 years or more .
Tiny ones weigh a fraction of an ounce and are the size of a finger nail.
Giant clams can reach 500 lbs. and 4 feet across. That's a lot of chowder. Easiest way to make steamed clams is to put a bunch of clams in a bowl, and heat the bowl in the microwave until the shells pop open. Eight cherrystones usually take about eight minutes. Make sure the clams are thoroughly rinsed before cooking.