Where can you buy clam stock in Chicago?

We are having a guest chef come in to cook at our cooking class for youth and he has requested that we buy clam stock for one of the recipes. I have no idea where to get this. Can someone help? I'd rather get fresh than canned if possible.

Thank you!

Costco used to keep huge plastic tubs of excellent chopped clams packed in clam juice (not sure I'd call it clam "stock," though: clams don't quite need to be cooked down for hours or days to get a flavorful liquid). Not sure if they still do.

Best/easiest way to get "fresh" is to steam a bunch of clams in a pot. Eat clams, reserve liquid for your class. Again, Costco (on weekends) typically sells large bags of very fresh New England cherrystones, mahoganies, or whatnot dirt cheap. Any seafood store should have fresh calms, though. Check Chinatown or Argyle.

Don't forget to clean them. You will want to strain the stock to get rid of any grit.

He might just mean bottles of clam juice you can find at any grocery store.

HI,

You have two options for Clam Juice:

Chain Grocery: $8 ounces for $4

Italian Grocery: $64 ounces for $4

It's all the same.

Tim

Can you use clam juice and stock interchangeably? This is for a crab and sweet corn chowder. I have a feeling he meant stock

Tim - perhaps you can elaborate on what stores you are referring to. Also, are these the same product? I know that a lot of the brands have an incredible amount of added sodium in them.

You have a few extra dollar signs in there.

Darren,

There do $eem to be a number of dollar $ign$ in that po$t, I wonder why?

I usually go to Conte di Savoia on Taylor but there are a number of Italian grocers in Chicago.

There is a lot of variation in sodium content. My last can of ocean clam juice (46 ounces for $2.99) was 13% sodium. I have another brand which is 42% sodium; it's worth reading those labels.

Tim

Right, so it is not "all the same". If you go for the cheapest brand, make sure you aren't buying salt water with a little clam in it.

I am willing to bet he means to use clam juice - it comes in glass bottles at the grocery store. Sometimes it's with the tuna and sometimes it's with the soups. I have always used this for clam chowder, bouliabasse, etc.