Nothing is better than catching a fish… unless that fish is your favorite fish to eat. Maybe it’s fulfilling some primal instinct but, there is just something very satisfying about catching a fish and providing food for the table. You catch it, you clean it, your cook it. However, did you know there is more than just fish to grab and eat on Oak Island? And no, I’m not talking about takeout food from Kia Joe’s, though that is very good too. I’m talking about a few things you might have overlooked that grow right here on Oak Island and, when properly prepared, might be as equally satisfying to eat as fish. Some of these I have personally tried and can say without a doubt, they were good eating. Others, I’ve haven’t so I make no guarantees that they taste good or that you won’t die if you eat them. However, the ones I haven’t tried, I have seen others eat on YouTube. Still, eat at your own risk. Here are the top five things you didn’t know you can eat on Oak Island. You may have never thought about gathering clams even though they are right there under your feet. Clams can be eaten fried, grilled, sautéed, or straight up on the half shell. Topped off with cocktail sauce and a dash of tabasco, fresh out of the sea, they’re delicious! Now before you go picking up a dozen clams, there are a few things you should know. For starters, you can’t get clams just anywhere. Much of the island is closed to harvesting shellfish. This includes oysters and mussels along with clams. Before harvesting clams, check with the NC Division of Marine Fisheries. They provide maps of shellfish harvesting area boundaries. There are also size and creel limit regulations on clams. At the time when this article was posted, the regulations stated that clam shells must be one inch thick and there is a limit of 100 a day. However, it is always best to check to see if the regulations have been updated. Clams are relatively easy to find. They live in both muddy areas near the marsh as well as in the sand in shallow tidal waters. Scaping through these areas with a hand-held garden rake is all it takes to find clams. Dig down a few inches and feel for the hard shell. Often, where you find one clam you will find a few more. I learned about this plant when my son returned from a 9th grade science filed trip. Pickleweed, also called glasswort, looks similar to asparagus. It doesn’t have leaves but has a stalk that fills with salt water. Younger stalks, picked in the spring or early summer, are green and undeniably salty. On Oak Island, pickleweed grows in abundance close to the shore on the ICW side of the Point. It can be picked and chewed right there on the spot or taken home, chopped, and added on top of a salad. I’ve also heard it pickles well though I haven’t tried pickling this plant myself. About mid-summer, the short palm trees that line the driveways on Oak island produce branches full of a strange orange fruit. These orange globes quickly ripen and fall to the ground, sometimes making quiet the mess. To the homeowner who needs to power wash his driveway, these fruits are nothing more than a nuisance. However, to those in the know, the cupboard is about to be filled with jars of some of the best homemade jelly you ever tasted. Those palm trees are pindo palms and those tiny orange balls are the pindo palm fruit that make the pindo palm tree jelly. Similar to cranberries, pindo fruit is more tart than sweet. The flavor is reminiscent of the citrus found in an orange without the sweetness. When ripe, they are soft yet fibrous inside. Though they are edible off the tree, the best way to enjoy the pindo fruit is to boil it down and turn it into jelly. A small batch of fruit can fill a dozen or more jars. The jelly’s flavor profile is similar to orange marmalade. Sweet from the added sugar but slightly sour from the fruit. It a complex flavor that is great on toast. It also works well when combined with habaneros to create a sweet and spicy hot sauce. In the spring, when the waves have churned after a storm, sheets of bright green seaweed are left clumped in the sand. These leaves were torn by the current off strands that grown at the bottom of the ocean. I’ve often picked up pieces and contemplated eating it though I’ve haven’t tried it yet. After doing some research, I’ve found that sea lettuce is edible, though there is some question on whether or not you should harvest it off the beach. However, this concern seems to be based more on the condition of the water and surrounding pollutants as apposed to the edibility of the plant. Sea lettuce should be washed well to remove sand and any creepy crawlers that might be hidden in the leaves. Once washed, sea lettuce can be added to soups or salads. It can also be toasted with sesame seeds and salt, similar to baked kale chips. I know what you’re thinking. “Come on Sands, you’ve got to be pulling my leg? Sand fleas? That’s bait, not bon appetit!” OK, I have to admit, this is one I haven’t tried myself. However, I have watched several other Youtubers who have. Each person I watched prepared the sand fleas in a similar way, frying them in a pan on the stove top. However, their opinions on taste varied greatly.
Some, like EliasVFishing and deermeatfordinner thought the taste was good with the flavor falling somewhere between crab and shrimp. Others, like Lil Red Heidi Hood and Fisherman's Life didn’t find sand fleas appealing at all. In fact, they had a hard time keeping them down. Fishing on Oak Island, NC
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Ian SandsFish along with Ian Sands of 'Sands in the Surf' on beautiful Oak Island, NC. We’re fishing the surf and surrounding areas targeting everything from puffer, to blues, to black and red drum, to sharpnose and bonnetheads. Archives
February 2021
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