The methods suggested for purging steamers work. What does not work anymore in Southeastern CT is catching them in the first place. Where I am located it is loaded with hard shell clams but not steamers (aka piss clams or soft shell clams). They used to be all over the place in the sixties, but all the spots I used to catch them in are worthless now. Do not have a clue as to what happened to them. However, hard shell clams are plentiful and with the exception of steaming or frying them, they are really a good clam for just about everything else including eating them raw. I did try frying a bunch of them up, and they were very tasty but sort of rubbery. The only time a hard shell clam gets sand inside, is when the tangs of the rake get into an opened clam before it has a chance to clam up. The tang prevents them from closing completely hence a few can pick up some mud.
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