Hard Shell Clam Sizes

We sell two primary hard shell clam sizes at the market, littlenecks & cherrystones. In a bizarre twist of fate littlenecks are the size of a cherry and cherrystones are well larger. I used to drive my parents nuts as a kid trying to understand why, every child's favorite question. Why? After a while well I guess you just accept that's just the way it is. Interestingly what we now call cherrystones were locally called sharps in the early 1900s. Eating a bunch cherrystones sounds far more appetizing than eating a bunch of sharps. Littlenecks were still littlenecks then. Both littlenecks and cherrystones can be eaten on the half shell or in pasta. Larger cherrystones are also good for stuffed clams and chowders. As quahogs get larger they get a little tougher so littlenecks are considered the best clam to eat on the halfshell. We've been trying to get some chowders for the market but it's been tough so far for a variety of reasons.