I did a google...
Subject: Re: Why do dead clams not open when steamed?
Answered By: tutuzdad-ga on 02 Jan 2003 18:57 PST
Rated:
Dear achoo-ga;
Gesundheit!…And thank you for allowing me an opportunity to answer
our interesting question.
The skeletal muscles of humans tire very easily in comparison to those
f other animals. When a human makes a fist, for example, this posture
annot be sustained long before fatigue sets in and the muscles of the
and must be released. Clams, on the other hand (no pun intended)
roduce a unique protein, called "paramyosin", that allows them to
ustain contraction for up to a month. When one dies in the contracted
tate, it stays that way unless it is pried open, whereas a live clam,
n response to the tremendous heat that is literally boiling it alive,
ill open in, well shall we say, an understandable state of panic and
hock.
Ironically, in nature, the opposite is true. In time, dead clams
ounded by the cold surf eventually begin to decay. As the paramyosin
reaks down, the dead clam becomes unable to hold itself closed at
ither the bivalve opening or at the hinge. This is why you see so
any one-sided clamshells lying in the surf at the beach. By this
ime, of course, the clam that once lived within, now vacated, has
ong since made its important contribution to the food chain.
As a side note, when selecting live clams you may, from time to time,
ctually run across a few that are standing open. This does not always
ndicate freshness. If you tap on the shell and the clam closes, it is
k to buy. If it does not close when you tap on the shell, it isn’t
gnoring you – it’s dead. Don’t buy it.
elow you will find that I have carefully defined my search strategy
or you in the event that you need to search for more information. By
ollowing the same type of searches that I did you may be able to
nhance the research I have provided even further. I hope you find
hat that my research exceeds your expectations. If you have any
uestions about my research please post a clarification request prior
o rating the answer. Otherwise, I welcome your rating and your final
omments and I look forward to working with you again in the near
uture. Thank you for using Google Answers.
Best regards;
utuzdad-ga
NFORMATION SOURCES
P BIOLOGY STUDY GUIDE
ttp://www.cps.pvt.k12.ca.us/support/faculty/facultypages/bernie/apbioweb/study%20questions/MuscleQs.htm
LAM GASTRONOMY
ttp://home.earthlink.net/~s_peters/cfood.html
-----Original Message-----
From: Rippen, Thomas E. <terippen@umes.edu>
To: Don Disraeli <don@kanaloa.com>
Cc: seafood <seafood@ucdavis.edu>
Sent: Tue, 11 Dec 2007 1:01 pm
Subject: RE: non opening cooked clams
Hi Don,
do not know the answer to your question but the assumption that such
lams were dead at time of cooking is not always true. Usually the
dductor muscle attachment sites release from the shell when denatured
uring cooking but not always. Can anyone explain this?
om
Thomas E. Rippen
eafood Technology Specialist
ea Grant Extension Program
enter for Food Science and Technology
niversity of Maryland Eastern Shore
rincess Anne, MD 21853
10-651-6636
10-651-8498 fax
erippen@umes.edu
-----Original Message-----
rom: owner-seafood@ucdavis.edu [mailto:owner-seafood@ucdavis.edu] On
ehalf Of Don Disraeli
ent: Monday, December 10, 2007 4:28 PM
c: 'seafood'
ubject: non opening cooked clams
Can anyone tell me what is the matter with a clam (if there is something
rong other than it is being obstinate) that refuses to open after it
as
een cooked sufficiently?
Donald J. Disraeli
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