What Are the Facts About Beans & Clams?
Beans and clams, like other seafood, provoke love-hate reactions amongst many people. Some of us would eat clams -- steamed, raw, grilled, and in chowders -- virtually every day. Others may tolerate fish and even shrimp, but are disgusted by shellfish like clams and oysters. And, as many people prize beans and cook with them regularly, other people despise them because they are relatively bland and can produce gas in the human intestine. Does this Spark an idea?
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What Are They?
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Modern transportation means these clams can be enjoyed far from the sea. Beans plants known as legumes. They have with a characteristic kidney shape and they usually have white, red or black skins. Clams are shellfish known as bivalves that feed by filtering water. Clams are typically thought of as saltwater shellfish, but there are also edible freshwater clams.
Habitat
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Beans are grown all over the world, but are most associated with Caribbean and Latin American cooking. Along with maize and squash, beans were one of the "three sisters," the staples of Native American diets, including that of the Iroquois confederation. Clams feature most prominently in the cuisines of countries with long coastlines, such as Italy and Japan. However, Native American tribes also ate them and made tools, including spoons, out of their shells. Clamshell beads, or wampum, were a form of currency.
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Nutrition and Storage
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Beans are high in fiber and protein and low in fat. They are also a good source of calcium and iron, and make an excellent, nutritious dietary staple. Dried beans can be safely stored in a vermin-proof container for months, if not years. Clams are also high in protein and low in fat, but are a poor source of dietary fiber. Fresh clams are highly perishable; they should be consumed within a few hours after purchase, while frozen clams can be stored in the freezer for a few days. Canned clams have a shelf-life of months.
Cooking
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Dried beans should be soaked a minimum of four hours, if not overnight, to rehydrate them. Salt them only after they are tender or they can't absorb water. Your recipe specifies which herbs and spices you should add, but remember that beans are bland and often benefit from generous seasoning. Canned beans can be used straight from the can in any recipe calling for beans. Clams are best cooked very simply and quickly -- under a hot broiler until they open, then served with butter, lemon, perhaps some hot pepper sauce or a sprinkling of chili powder. Canned clams can replace fresh or frozen clams in any recipe that calls for chopped fresh clams, such as clam chowder.
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References
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