From the Sea to Your Table: Global Spotlight on Chile Concludes

Today’s post wraps up our trip to Chile as part of the Crown Prince Global Spotlight Series. Now that we’ve introduced you to our three species of Pacific-dwelling clams, we’ll walk you through the canning process to the best part of all: eating!

After harvest and transport to the canning facility, the clams are removed from their shells, gutted, trimmed and cleaned. Then they are carefully chopped or minced (we offer both preparation methods) and given a quick bath in citric acid to maintain freshness inside the can. When the clams are clean and ready to go, they are weighed and placed into cans. The cans are filled with fresh water and salt then sealed. Once sealed, the cans are put through a pasteurization process that sterilizes the contents. The cans are labeled and packed into cartons, then shipped up the coast, ready for distribution across America’s supermarket shelves!

Now comes the fun part: cooking and eating! Crown Prince chopped and minced clams are quite the versatile pantry staple. Uses for canned clams range from a supportive role in a seafood risotto or seafood bisque, to a starring role in clam fritters, clam sauce and of course, clam chowder!

What are your favorite uses of canned clams in the kitchen?