Posted by nathan jensen on December 30, 2005

Q: I have found some clams on the deschutes river in eastern oregon and was wondering if they are edible. the oregon dept. of fish and wildlife doesnt have too much info on there websitebut they do mention that it is legal to harvest the clams. will they taste good ?

A: Edible and palatible are two different things when it comes to food. I'd say that one means you can eat it and not get sick, the other means you can eat it and find it really tasty. Your clams are edible for sure, but I can't vouch for their being tasty. I found some clams in a clean, clear lake in the Adirondacks (huge state park in New York State)once and cooked them up. They were awful tasting! But at least, now I know.

If I were you, I'd give it a try but there is only one reservation I might have. Since clams are filter feeders (they screen tiny plants and animals out of the water), they are especially suceptible to pollution. If you are SURE the water is clean where you got the clams, I'd give it a try. Do keep in mind that the clams one eats in restaurants or buys in stores are saltwater clams not freshwater ones. But I can't see why at least some freshwater ones would be tasty. Best of luck to you. Let me know how it turns out!

John Wiessinger ( December 30, 2005)