Closeup of freshly harvested little neck clams - John Piekos/Getty Images Clams are a tasty and nutritious shellfish that can be used in a variety of dishes, from creamy New England clam chowder to ...

So as a general rule, if it's dead beforehand, its shell won't be closed (hence why you throw out the ones with open shells before cooking). During cooking, the clams are killed by the heat and in ...