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Clams from the Galician Rias are my gourmet preserve par excellence, and these are my favorite Spanish brands. If you give me the choice of a TOP gourmet canned food, I would choose the NATURAl ALMEJAS of our Galician Rías GallegasBecause they keep all the consistency of fresh clams but with an even more intense flavor of fresh seafood and sea. When we open a can of clams, just the smell of them takes us to the Galician coasts for a moment. At Casa Ballester we have been selling this product for years, we constantly receive new brands, and we always try them before deciding. If we love them, we incorporate them to our offer in the Veronicas market store in Murcia, and now also to the online store.
Canned clams, how to choose them
To choose a good canned clams, keep in mind some things like:
- Origin of the clam.
For me it is the main indicator of quality.
If its capture area is the Galician coast, especially the Rías Baixas, it is the best guarantee of its careful elaboration and flavor.
The most recognized origins, such as Galicia, Rías Gallegas or Rías Baixas, appear directly on the packaging; if you have to look for it in the small print, it is usually an imported product.
In Spain we are fortunate to be able to enjoy the best canning companies in the world. - Price: being a canned seafood that is less consumed, we will not find so much supply, so the price is higher than other seafood.
But its price does mark a minimum quality and especially linked to the origin of the seafood.
The lowest priced canned clams come with imported product, treated mechanically, and with poor quality toppings, enhanced with plenty of salt or lemon.
Their price also depends on the size of the pieces, so it is not always necessary to go for the most expensive preserves, although if we can afford them from time to time, they are a real pleasure… - Size of the clams: The number of pieces per can gives us an idea of their size.
It is usually indicated on the package.
In this canned food we can find those with large clams, with 10-12 pieces per can or less.
But there are also brands that offer cans of 20-30 pieces just as exquisite.
If the package does not indicate the number of pieces, they are usually very small pieces. - Coverage.
Natural gourmet clams base their flavor on the product, so their coating is usually water and salt.
Some brands add bay leaf or lemon to enhance the flavor, although this is unnecessary if the product is fresh and of good quality.
The Galician clam variety most appreciated by canneries is the slug, one of the native Galician varieties, as ANFACO-CECOPESCA tells us in this article on The 4 Types of Clams cultivated in Galicia.
5 gourmet canned clams brands
Canned clams, despite not being as popular as cockles or mussels, have real fans who are looking for seasonal products and reference brands with good harvests.
So for them, and for the more curious who want to try something different, here is our personal selection of the 5 best brands of canned clams:
Ramon Peña
This Galician cannery has been canning fresh seafood from the fish markets of the Galician Rías for 100 years.
It selects only large clams in perfect condition, placing each piece by hand with great delicacy.
Its flavor is delicate and its texture consistent, with a very soft covering of water and salt, giving prominence to the seafood cooking liquid at the right time.
Dart
This well-known Galician cannery offers a very rich range of canned clams from the Galician Rias, with different sizes and prices.
Dardo has from packages with 8-10 very large pieces, to medium-sized ones of 20-30 pieces.
Its origin is the same, the Galician coast, and its elaboration process as well, since they are manually shelled to be placed in the can.
Natural coverage enhancing all the flavor of the seafood.
Daporta
The classic that never fails.
Faithful to its traditional recipes, its seal also appears in the canned white clams from the Galician Rias.
Without contributing for a large size, it maintains the traditional recipes and a hand-packing with a great tasting coating.
José Peña
A great Galician cannery, defender of the most traditional techniques applied in all its canned products.
Raw material of the highest quality, from the area and packaged immediately upon arrival at the factory.
The texture of the pieces is perfect, as well as the balance of its coverage.
The natural clams never disappoint.
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Agotado
Lola’s Legacy
The most innovative of the selected brands, and the latest to hit the market.
And also a pleasant surprise.
The canned clams are produced exclusively for 2 months a year, selecting the best product from the Galician estuaries.
They are steamed, shucked and packed by hand.
Their coating is an infusion of water macerated with ingredients from our own recipe, which enhances the sea flavor of a great product.
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Agotado
Whatever your choice, you will be right with any of the brands you choose, just take enough time to enjoy them with your five senses.
Consumption recommendations
Canned clams have a long shelf life and can be preserved for years as long as they are stored in a cool, dry place without direct sunlight or heat.
It is not necessary, nor advisable, to keep them in the refrigerator for their conservation.
The Galicians recommend consuming them fresh, and to do so it is enough to put them in the refrigerator 20 minutes before opening them, and thus enjoy all their flavor.
To consume, it is best eaten directly in its natural state, although some diners prefer to add a few drops of lemon juice.
Our advice is to first taste its great quality without adding any dressing, and of course, never waste the topping.
If nobody wants to eat it at that moment, don’t throw it away, save it and add it as a dressing to a salad, vegetables or white rice, and you will see the result…
Canned clams marinate spectacularly well with Galician wines, such as albariños or ribeiros, with a fresh beer or with a vermouth, so I leave it up to you!
Once the can is opened, if you do not consume the whole can, transfer the contents to a closed glass or plastic container, and store it in the refrigerator for 2-3 days at most, so that they do not lose texture or flavor.
At Casa Ballester we offer the best gourmet canned clams from the Galician Rias, selected and tested directly by us.selected and tested directly by us, from the best Spanish artisan canneries, where quality and flavor are the priority.
Enter our online store to buy canned Galician clams or visit us at the Casa Ballester stall in the Veronicas Market, floor 0, and tell us which brands you like best!
