We are so lucky here in Dunedin to have an abundance of wild foods available for free procurement. One of my favourite wild food experiences is to spend a Sunday collecting clams from Papanui inlet. We head down at lowtide with a spade and a couple of buckets. Thanks to the sustainable practices of the commercial clam export operation that runs here, the clam beds are absolutely bursting with life.
Once you have dug your clams, rinse them well to remove any sand and place them in a bucket of clean seawater for 6 to 12 hours to allow any sand in the clams to be purged out. Following that if you need to store clams, remove them from the water and refrigerate in a container with a lid for up to 10 days.
