How to Clean Mussels
When buying mussels, it’s best to buy them from a reputable supermarket or fishmonger to ensure they are fresh. When determining how many mussels to buy, one pound is generally enough for one main portion serving. Raw mussels are always sold live. They should be shiny, unbroken and closed and should smell of nothing other than the sea.
When sorting through the mussels, make sure to discard any that are broken. Also if any mussels are open, tap them like this and if they don’t close within a few seconds it means they are dead and they should also be discarded. For this reason it’s a good idea to buy some extra mussels to account for any waste.
When bringing mussels home from the market they should be stored in the large bowl and covered with the clean very damp cloth. Mussels will keep like this for one to two days. However, they are best consumed the same day they were purchased. Depending on where you purchase your mussels, you may need to soak them just before cooking. Just ask your fishmonger.
Soak the mussels in a bowl of cold, well-salted water for about 30 minutes. The mussels will suck in the water and spit out any sand or grit. Once the mussels have soaked, make sure to use a firm brush or clean scrubbing pad to remove any barnacles or debris. Then remove the beard which is this tough, stringy part here. To do this, pull the beard towards the hinch. Some of the beards may be too far inside the mussels to be removed so don’t worry.
Once done, give the muscles one final rinse drain and they are ready to be cooked. Finally and most importantly, once the mussels are cooked, make sure not to eat any that haven’t opened as this means they were not alive prior to cooking and must be discarded.
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