A bushel of soft shell clams weighs around 48 pounds, and the same amount of hard shell clams weigh about 60 pounds. Weight also varies depending upon the species of clam. A standard bushel is 8 gallons, although FishChoice states a bushel can change from seller to seller.
In 2012, clam harvesters produced 6 million pounds of hard shell clam meat worth nearly $40 million. Farms in Virginia and Florida contributed greater supplies of clams that lowered prices, while clam harvesters in New England states caught the animals in wild beds. Clams are sold under several names such as littlenecks, cherrystone, quahog and top neck.
