Hunt & Gather UK
  • Hunt and Gather UK
  • About

Foraging for Cockles, Clams & Razor Clams - Saundersfoot Beach

8/17/2014

5 Comments

 
Picture
Razor Clams - Saundersfoot Beach

We used to dig up cockles & use salt to capture Razor Clams as students.

Today I took my 3 year old daughter to do the same thing.

She absolutely loved it and got ridiculously excited when the razor clams appeared of of the sand, through the salt.

We used a rake to dig up the cockles and then scoured the beach for the caracteristic holes in the sand that tells you where the razor clams live.

You just add salt to any likely dents or holes in the sand. If a razor clam is present they normally squirt at first, then slowly emerge from the sand. When they are poking out enough, you have to grab them quickly and slowly ease them out of their holes. Do it too quickly the foot (the bit you eat), can get snapped off.

We cooked the cockles and razor clams, there and then, with a portable camping stove and then ate them.

Picture
Freshly dug cockles - Saundersfoot Beach
Picture
Cockles being cooked on the beach.
Picture
Little Moo eating her cockles that she had foraged minutes before.
Picture
Razor Clam
Picture
It's coming dad!
Picture
Moo pouring a little too much salt in the razor clam holes. I admire her enthusiasm!
Picture
I've got one dad!
Picture
Cooking the Razor Clams.
Picture
Moo eating the Razor Clam feet.
Picture
3 Razor Clams - Saundersfoot Beach - Wales
Picture
A Razor Clam rising from the sand after being salted.
Picture
My 3 year old pulling a Razor Clam out of the sand - Saundersfoot.
Picture
When you place salt in the razor clam burrows, they very often squirt out a jet of water. Some, but not all, then emerge out of the sand.
Picture
My 3 year old pulling razor clams out of the sand at Saundersfoot Beach - Pembrokeshire.
5 Comments
Grace
9/29/2014 04:14:10 pm

I live in Sydney, Australia and am visiting London in Nov 2014. However, because of your article, I now want to visit Saunderfoot Beach with my daughter just to collect razor clams as they seem like such interesting creatures. Is it as simple as walking along the beach at low tide with a salt shaker and searching for vent holes?

Reply
Wild Harvest UK
9/29/2014 04:50:03 pm

Yes Grace. In theory, you just need a lot of salt and a pretty low tide. Wait, grab them and ease them out slowly or they will snap off.

But there will be better spots, so I'd do some research. Shellfish were once much more common at Saundersfoot when I used to go 20 years ago. Since then there has been gangs of mainly Chinese collecting the shellfish. So this particular beach has been hit hard. It took quite a bit off effort for my 3 year old and I, to get just a few. I love Pembrokeshire, it has some amazing beaches, much nicer than Saundersfoot, but it's a long way from London 4/ 5 hour drive.

Reply
Nozza link
5/12/2015 10:56:44 pm

Yes I noticed the same thing about that stretch of coast. Loads of chinese people digging all over at low tide taking large amounts away. It's a real shame because this sort of unofficial but commercial level exploitation not only depletes the area, damaging the ecosystem, but tends to lead some laws being passed which further reduce the already diminished rights of casual foragers to collect wild food. I.e. this is why we can't have nice things!

Reply
Ion
7/6/2015 08:28:45 am

Very interesting article, our kids love collecting razor clams as well. Interesting rake you have there is it specifically designed for cockles and where did you find it ?

Reply
Wild Harvest UK
7/26/2015 04:01:11 am

Ion - it was Saunders Foot Beach

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    Cooking
    Deer Stalking
    Equipment
    Fishing
    Foraging
    Grouse Shooting
    Guns
    Home Grown
    Pigeon Shooting
    Poultry & Livestock
    Rabbitshooting
    Shooting
    Trekking & Wild Camping
    Wildfowling
    Wild Harvest
    Woodcock

    Archives

    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.