How To Clean Snail Shells

In the French dish of snails in garlic butter (escargots à la Bourguignonne) the snails are traditionally served in the shell. Snail shells can be purchased from specialty stores and online ready to be used. They can be reused multiple times if they’re cleaned and stored properly after each use. Here’s how to clean snail shells to reuse them.

You’ll need:

white spirit vinegar
a large saucepan
wire racks
a baking tray large enough to hold the racks

Here’s how to clean empty snail shells to reuse them:

Measure water into a large saucepan and add ½ cup of white spirit vinegar (125ml/4oz) for every litre (2 pints) of water.
Add used snail shells, turning them around and holding them under the water until they sink.
Bring to the boil. Then boil gently for 10 minutes (it’s OK if they start to float).
Carefully tip them into a strainer and shake gently to dislodge most of the water. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200°C (390°F).
When shells are cool enough to handle, transfer them to wire racks, open side down so they can drain.
Once oven is at temperature, place the racks on an oven tray and into the oven for 10 minutes.
Turn oven off and leave shells to cool in the oven.
Store in a dry, sealed container.

Now you know how to clean snail shells to reuse them you can make classic snails in garlic butter (escargots à la Bourguignonne) – or give them a flavour twist using the smoky garlic butter in the video below.