DIGGING RAZOR CLAMS and Cooking Them! COASTAL FORAGING

Hello darlings! For the first time ever, we went razor climbing in Washington State. This journey is months in the making. We ended up razor climbing three times, so I have lots of information to share with you. The first trip took place in September. The second trip was in October. It was super wet and windy. The third time was the charm. It was December and we nailed it. Then I processed the clams, pan sear one and try it with butter. And dry the shells to craft with them. By the way, we're digging Pacific razor clams. All right, let's coastal forage. We begin with the first trip. Greetings from Washington State. It is Friday night and I'm super excited to tell you we're going to be digging for razor clams. It's my very first time. So yesterday late afternoon, I looked into the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's and they announced the low tide hours on when to go razor climbing at specific beaches. And one of the three tonight is Copalis. I just learned how to pronounce this word like 10 minutes ago and I'm trying to like remember. I've also heard it pronounced as Copalis. Here's a map of Washington State. We are currently far west of Seattle. Now if we zoom in, Copalis is this stretch of beach. Other razor clam spots include Moat Crocs Beach, Twin Harbors and Long Beach. My sweetheart and his dog is joining us. Tonight the sun sets around 7pm and right now it is 7.15pm. So we have these beautiful pink clouds. So back over there, that is the hotel and they have a path at least to the beach. And along this trip, there's a lot of hotels and accommodations that have like their own path to the beach or like a shared path with the other hotels. So I just learned last night, normally you can dig up to 15 razor clams but this year there is like a stronger population. So you could dig up to 20. Whatever you dig up, you take that. You don't put any back. So even if it's a small razor clam, you take that. That counts as part of your 15 or 20, whatever the number is for the season. All right, we made it to the beach, the shores. People drive their cars here and just park. Somebody is very excited to be at the beach. Gotta sniff everything. All right, so change of plan. The dog, he is a hair dog, not like a fur dog. So if he gets wet from the salt water, I just learned about this today, he'd get really smelly and the smell could be very hard to get rid of even if we give him like a shower or bath tonight. Also, he will get really cold. So we will walk back to the hotel, bring the car to the beach and our furry friend can stay in the cozy car. So actually, the lowest tide is at 930-ish tonight. But I read on their website, you can start digging two hours before the lowest tide time. And because it's getting dark, I brought my headlamp and I also packed my license inside my jacket. It's the same license I bought for the foraging seaweed. A lot of people closer to the water. So maybe there's more action there. So what we're looking for are clam shells, either like dimples that look like donuts or keyholes. So we're going to be digging with this trenching shovel. I got it this morning from Lowe's. It's narrow, almost the width of my hands. I heard the clam gun is easier to use than shovels. However, I could not find any clam guns in person. So we have a shovel instead. Looking for those clam holes, but the waves keep washing them away. You got to scan the ground quite fast. Yet also be thorough as possible. There's a little hole right here. You're supposed to put the shovel seaward. Maybe I put it too far. Like this. First, you insert the shovel blade four to six inches from the clam hole. The bottom of the shovel faces the ocean. And then you remove the sand by lifting the shovel upward and forward until you reach the clam. Something's squirting water right there. Hey, this is not easy, you guys. There's a bunch of water now. I think it came into exercise not to dig for clams. That guy got lucky. Now, they're kind of fast. Like you, once you catch one, you got to put it somewhere. Because if you put it on the sand, they'll dig in pretty quickly. But did you see how something was squirting from the sand? It was like a fountain. Yeah, that was a razor clam right there. There's another hole here. Oh, here's another one. There's no shell. I'm not certain if that's because... Where did it go? Because in the demonstration video, they made it look so easy. I thought we're going to get 20 razor clams in like 20 minutes. But we've been out here for like 10, 15 minutes. I mean, supposedly, there's a very strong razor clam population this year. So, you know, I feel like it shouldn't be that hard. Oh, yeah, there's a hole right there. They actually did like two to three times in the demo. That's what I saw. All right, guys, I think the shovel is not the best tool. Gotta grab the clam right away before the ocean claims it. Almost 9 p.m. Back at the hotel with zero razor clams. Today was a learning experience. It's our first time, so I don't see this as a failure. It's just part of the learning process. And so next time, we will be better prepared because we didn't want to keep digging and accidentally breaking their shell but not finding the whole thing. We'll do the tube for next time. And, you know, it's not just about digging clams. It's about seeing that sunset, seeing those beautiful colors just painted across the sky. On the way back to the car, we stopped by and talked to a ranger. He was driving in his truck on the sand and told him we're going to come back with the tube next time. And he was saying that he actually prefers digging with a shell. And sometimes, you know, that happens like the breaking of the shell. So we learned from the ranger that sometimes the razor clams, they're only six inches from the surface. But other times they may be like a foot and a half below the surface. So you have to like really shoot your arm down into the sand to grab them. We'll take what we learned today and we'll be better prepared for next time. It's been two weeks since we've been to Copelus Beach and we are back. And guess what? Do you hear this action? Yeah, it's raining a lot and it's also quite windy. But you know what we have this time? The claminator. So I think we're gonna get some razor clams real fast. I got five layers of clothes on and of course the rain jacket. It's gonna be chilly. It's gonna be wet. But I think it's also gonna be fun. It's gonna be a very different experience than last time we came. The winds are ranging from 20 to 30 miles an hour tonight. It's raining right now. Considering the weather, there are more people here than I expected. My hands are freezing already. We didn't even walk five minutes and look how wet his pants got. But only on one side because of the horizontal rain. If we catch only one razor clam tonight, I'm gonna call it a success. Found the shell. It feels like hail. All right, guys. We tried our very best to get some razor clams. But I think it started to hail because it was really painful on the face. And yeah, it lost visibility. As you can see, my glasses got really wet and foggy. Look at how wet this gentleman got. Oh, your car is all wet. What happened to my car? What did you do to my car? I got in. Thankfully, I booked the hotel like one to two minutes from here. So we'll be there in no time. You know, get dry, get cozy. Excited for that. Let's go. We were out there for only 10 to 15 minutes. And look how much water managed to get in his boots. I would say we were prepared if the weather were like last time. But today, it leveled up. Lessons learned from today. Our headlamps did not give us enough visibility. So if you're digging in the dark, especially during heavy rain, I highly recommend higher powered lights. So I read that razor clams don't like fresh water. So when it rains, they dig deeper. So overall, I'm going to try to avoid digging when it rains. Two months later, we head back out again. It was sunny, rainy, overcast, and sunny again. All in that order. This time, I've come prepared with wader boots. They'll keep me dry and warm. Think of them as waterproof overalls super glued onto rain boots. Joining us again is my sweetheart and his dog. This time, it's a day trip. So no sleeping at the hotel. It's better this way because it allows us to be flexible since the weather forecast changes. It is mid-December and we are back out to Copelas Beach for the third and last time. And whether or not we get razor clams, it is going to be the last time because it is quite a long trip to come all the way to the west of Washington. This west. These days, the sun sets at 4 30 p.m. And right now it is 3 45. So we're going to try to get as many clams as we can in the daylight we have. I selected today's approved clam time due to an earlier low tide, which means foraging in daylight. Not nearly as many people as the first time we came razor clamming. Because it's windy, you can hear the sand rushing against the surface. The moving grains of sand look like ghosts of ocean waves, moody and mysterious. It is very cold. I was thinking, oh, it's the sun is out. It's going to be warmer than last time. It's definitely warmer than last time because it's not raining, but it is still cold and it is the summer. Just like our first razor clam trip, we parked the car on the beach so our furry friend can stay cozy inside. Soon the sun tucks itself behind the blanket called Horizon. There's a lot of holes here. Those little dune thingies. There's a lot. It'll be very cold, but I was told that you got to like put your hand in there. Not just hand, like your arm. It's going to be cold. Bubbles coming out of this hole. Let's go for it. Oh, I think that was the one above it. Oh, right here. It's squirting there. Yes. Are we going to get one finally? Successfully? But there was one in there. What happened? It's not holding enough, so I think the hand thing is the... Oh no. Doing a little jig with the Claminator. Initially, we were not plugging the valve, but since we were not getting any clams, we tested if plugging it would make any difference. Still wasn't picking up much sand. Hopefully it picks up enough sand this time. Yep. Oh, it's right there. Grab it. Wait, no, what is this? It's a shrimp. Okay, so that's what these holes are. These are not the right ones. I know I should focus on digging clams, but the lovely scenery is distracting. So many rods. So we're trying to figure out if it's a technique issue or there's a defect in the Claminator because it's not holding in the sand. So I was asking someone who is digging clams how they do it. He faces towards the ocean and takes the tube at a 15 degree angle. And when you pull it back up, don't put it at a different angle. Go back exactly the same angle you came from and that might help with the suction. Going forward, we are not going to plug the valve when lifting the clam gun. I think I'm taking too... There goes my cooler. My razor clam probably ran away by now. Okay, I'm waiting for the water to go back. Otherwise, my razor clam will definitely get lost. Wow, look at all those birds over there. There's a reason why I brought my sweetheart with me. He's my man power. After all these tries, we finally got a razor clam. I think I'm gonna have to frame this shell because it represents perseverance and patience. We got two razor clams now. Thanks to my sweetheart, he's figured it out. Oh, there's a big wave coming now. Trying to figure out what's the best way to store this. Some people out here, they brought nets. I brought a net as well, but I want to keep my hands free because I'm filming and I'm gonna do the razor clamming as well. I brought a cooler on wheels to store the razor clams, but we got to fill it with the seawater. Later, I reviewed the Department of Fish and Wildlife website. They say to keep the razor clams cool and dry, cover them with cloth soaked in seawater. After the wave came in and went out, it acted like kind of like when you clean a chalkboard. It smoothed out the sand and all the holes. Oh, that's a huge hole. It's far. This guy was running away, so I had to dig with him to catch up. It's now 5 p.m. The seagull is checking out some of the holes we made. I think so. It's hard to tell if it's just falling sand or... Number five! High five! Come on, two more holes. Do I gotta dig in there? Nope, I don't feel anything. It's actually a little darker in real life. The camera's just lighting things up. Stephanie, look at this hole. Oh yeah, there's a big hole right there. Catching only one razor clam would have been a success for us, but we got five. So woohoo! Another digger I talked to got 15 clams. Then I realized if I only focused on foraging, we probably would have gotten more clams. But I was filming too, so my attention was all over the place. It was divided. It's all good. We got five clams. Part of the joy is just being out here, feeling alive in the chilly yet gorgeous scenery. On the way home, we stopped by Ho Quiem. Am I pronouncing that right? The taco special for him. Puffy tacos for me, which came with two homemade fried taco shells with shredded chicken. They were delicious. The meal made me gassy, but it was worth it. It's my first time processing razor clams, and I am referring to a couple sites. I'm reading forums and there are people saying different things, and because it's my first time, I don't know which one is the best advice to follow. Some people say don't keep the razor clams in seawater for more than four to six hours. Others say don't put it in fresh water at all. All right, let's see how they're doing. I see teeny movements, a sign of life. Someone wrote that in salt water, they'll use up oxygen and die, so I'll transfer them into a bowl and keep a damp cloth over them. That water is cold. I got my hands are freezing again. Whoa, that looks like teeth, yellow teeth. I'm quite tired, so I'm going to process them in the morning. My eyes are burning right now. It's only 9.30, yeah? But I woke up at like 6.30, 6? We'll keep the razor clams in the fridge overnight. Good morning. It is almost 11 and I gotta head out in just a bit, so I got 30-ish minutes to process the razor clams. But now that I have a fresh brain, I think I could do it in that shorter time period. For experienced people, five razor clams in 30 minutes is probably gonna be more than enough, but it's my first time, so my first razor clam might take like 15 minutes to process because I gotta read instructions online. Some people say to blanch the razor clams for one to five seconds in boiling water. Other people say five to 10 seconds, so I'm gonna take the middle ground and do five seconds of blanching. Step one, I'm going to clean the remaining sand that's in the razor clam, and I'm not gonna do it in the kitchen sink in case some of the sand gets stuck in there. They already spit out a lot of sand when we kept them in the seawater, so there's not too much to rinse. There are little bits on the sides, so I'm just kind of lightly rubbing that off. Prepare a pot full of boiling water and a bowl full of ice water. Let's blanch. One, two, three, four, five. Then let it chill in the ice water. One, two, three, four, five, and then one more second. Blanching makes it easy to detach the body from the shell. As for the shells, I will use them for crafting. I read online to boil the shells for at least a minute to sterilize them. That's if you want to use the shells to serve food on. I removed some of the slimy stuff and remaining meat, just creating a smoother surface to work on when I craft with it. Then lay them out to dry. To see what I make with these shells, follow me on my arts and crafts Instagram, at creativechillout. I'm migrating the clams from the ice water to a clean bowl. Time flies. I gotta head out for a few hours. For now, I cover them back up with a damp cloth and back in the fridge they go. Dinner time approaches. Let's finish processing the clams. I've got a helper with me. My sister-in-love's cat is a charmer. She just winked at you. Step one, cut off the dark end of the siphon. The next step, it says to follow the zipper line, you know, the zigzaggy outer part. Cut that in half to the end we just cut off. So this opens up half. This here is the inner wall of the siphon and we cut it. So when I cut the inner wall, it spreads open and it flattens out. And now we're going to rinse it to get rid of any extra dirt or sand. It'll be very convenient to do it at the sink. However, there is still some sand coming out of this. So I'm just going to dump it outside so the sand doesn't do any damage in the kitchen. In the next step, it says to cut or pull out the brown bits. The middle part, that's the brown bit. And this side is very dark brown. It looks a little poopy. So we're pulling that out or cutting it. I think if I pull it, it might rip open whatever the sack is. I'm afraid it might pop open and make a mess. So I'm just going to use the scissors. So it's got a hole in it. The body parts, I'm going to put in this container. The brown parts, I'll put into this bowl. When I cut this part off, inside there's like sand. I'm pushing it out and I don't know what this thing is, but it's popping out as I push. At first, I thought the translucent rod was a reproductive organ, but it's actually part of the clam's digestive tract called the crystalline style. As I put this against the light, it looks like a lot of that brown stuff is in this area. So maybe I have to cut off this whole thing down here. Instead of just guessing, I'm just going to cut it and see what's there. Oh wait, there's some more brown stuff in there. So maybe I do cut it off here. I just hate to waste any of this meat. I think I cut off too much of this part. And you cut that area in half. You butterfly it and it opens up. Yeah, this one's a little bit longer. So I'm going to cook one of these guys and then the rest, vacuum seal them. So I'm going to put it in this bag. And I read online that you can store them in the freezer for like up to six months. I'm saving the remaining clams for another day when I have more time. I want to prepare them in different ways. For now, let's sear the first clam on a cast iron pan. We're cooking. It's my first time cooking razor clams. It might be my first time ever eating razor clams. I hope this is not overcooked and also not undercooked. Because if you overcook it, then it gets too chewy. And this is slightly chewy right now. And I didn't put anything on it except, you know, cooking it with the olive oil. It's a subtle flavor. It definitely has a touch of that ocean. I'm blowing air in the back of my throat to feel more of that. Okay, so I added a bunch of butter. Because butter makes everything better. If you don't enjoy this flavor or you find it to be too bland, you could definitely put it in clam chowder. Digger foot. And actually, if you turn it upside down, it kind of looks like a boot. I cooked this for a little bit longer because it is a thicker piece of meat. I feel like that one's raw. So later, I read online that some people do eat them raw. Since ours are pretty fresh, it should be okay. Anyway, I did not get sick, so all is well. Hope you guys enjoyed this video and learned a thing or two about foraging razor clams. Your experience will vary depending on the weather and the daylight. Because it was our first time, I did a lot of research. And it was really hard for me to retain all the info on the first go. You know, since I was filming, I was multitasking. But we went three times. We used a shovel. We used the claminator. There are other kinds of clam guns as well. If you guys decide to go, I wish the best of luck for you. And I hope that you get plenty, that you reach your limit on your first trip. And remember to check out my arts and crafts Instagram, at Creative Chillout. Remember to subscribe and hit that notification bell. For food and travel in Korea, check out my other channel, SweetAndTastyTV. Toodles, my noodles. Here's a man digging for razor clams in 1915, on Copalis Beach. And people processing the clams also in 1915. Waiter boots, but make it fashion. We're gonna be digging for razor clams. It's my very first time. And I was waiting for the longest time to find someone to go with. Someone who's a pro at it. But I was like, how long do I have to wait until I finally go razor climbing? It's like one of those things. Do you wait for someone to show up to help you make things happen? Yes, you can sometimes. But sometimes you just have to go and make it happen yourself. So after getting the razor clams, I'm gonna put it inside this mini cooler and then bring it back to the hotel. And cook a couple and then save a couple. I'm gonna bring some to my friend's house and then share some with Mommyo as well. We booked a hotel next to Copalis Beach. You do need to walk a couple minutes to get to the water. Can get bushy and adventurous. Late at night, might feel a little ominous. Here's a look of the dark walk back. About 30 minutes after sunset. Oh, so dark. Although we are sleeping at a pet-friendly hotel, guests are not allowed to keep dogs alone in the room. And so here we are. The tide times change. Tonight, it's 9.30 p.m. Other times, it's like 4.30 a.m. And I'm like, I'm not gonna wake up in the morning in the middle of night to go razor climbing. Even if I wanted to. This is so beautiful. Look at how glossy. So when you guys dig, you have to be careful because the water can creep up on you. I think it's good to do with another person. Well, I'm blighting myself now. And as winter gets closer and closer, the weather gets colder. So I read online that, you know, by like November, December, there are less people out on the beach. You know, we can have it more to ourselves. It might be a little bit more scary if you're afraid of the dark. So I definitely think it's good to go with people. At least one other person. I don't know how I'm gonna film with this camera. It's not a rainproof camera. Actually, I'm gonna be filming with my iPhone instead because this camera, if it gets fully wet and it keeps getting rained on the lens, I don't know if that's gonna be any usable footage. So wish us luck. I kept looking for updates on when to go razor climbing because you need to look at the dates and the weather. There's a bunch of other things I wanted to say. What was it? Wow, okay. Sorry, the camera's shaking. My hands are cold right now. I'm trying to keep my hands still as possible.