Buying Mussels

HappyIdiotTalk

There are a couple of mussel recipes in my Jamie Oliver and Hugh FW books – (Cook and Family Cookbook) that I want to try. Very ambitious for me as fish scares me to death.


Anyway, I need some live mussels. I’ve seen some in the supermarket all bagged up, but are they alive? I’m assuming they must be alive as all the recipes stress that dead ones are definitely not to be eaten. But then its hard to believe they could still be alive sitting in a string bag on some ice…

Can anyone enlighten me?

destiny_star2006

eww yuck sorry to not be of help but i hate these things

arkonite_babe

OK, when you buy mussels any which are open when you get them and don't close when tapped, bin them.

Clean them with cold water and a brush to remove any grit and bits sticking to them.

After cooking as per your recipe, any which have not opened, bin those too.

This info on BBC food should help you too, enjoy

HTH

Pink.

Hi HappyIdiotTalk,

Yes, the mussels in string bags in the supermarket will be live ones. You should never buy uncooked dead mussels, although it's fine to buy them ready cooked.

The problem with dead mussels is that you don't know how long they've been dead for and they could cause poisoning. Seafood poisoning is not funny!

When you buy mussels you need to wash them thoroughly and debeard them (pull any seaweedy stuff off them). While washing them you'll probably notice some of them opening and closing. Any that are wide open and don't close when tapped should be discarded as they are dead.

Once cooked the mussels should all open.....any that don't have been dead before cooking so don't try to prise them open, just throw them away.

Hope this helps,

Pink

comping_cat

Yes, when you wash them before cooking, throw away any that are open - they are dead and once you cook them, throw away any that are still closed, because they are dead!!!

Generali

The easiest way to clean mussels is to firstly go through them with a small sharp knife and pull off the beards (the bit of seaweed they use to hang on to). Then turn on the cold water tap and using your hands, bang the mussels around in the sink. you'll see the sand fall out into the bottom of the sink. When no more sand comes out, continue for about 30 seconds just in case.

I used to cook with mussels a lot (at least once a week) and I never had food poisoning or any grit in them.

moneysavinmonkey

HappyIdiotTalk wrote: »

There are a couple of mussel recipes in my Jamie Oliver and Hugh FW books – (Cook and Family Cookbook) that I want to try. Very ambitious for me as fish scares me to death.


Anyway, I need some live mussels. I’ve seen some in the supermarket all bagged up, but are they alive? I’m assuming they must be alive as all the recipes stress that dead ones are definitely not to be eaten. But then its hard to believe they could still be alive sitting in a string bag on some ice…

Can anyone enlighten me?

Hi,
you can get live mussels from supermarkets sometimes but your better finding a fish shop. They look exactly like what you describe sitting in a string bag in some ice (they live in the sea above/below tide line so pretty much the same environment!)

I get mine from the fish man at the weekly market. I don't like a lot of seafood but love mussels as they don't taste fishy and are really cute. When you get them live you have to clean them and pull off their little beards.. do it quickly (like pulling an elastoplast) or you hurt them and they pull their little beard back in their shell.

When you are cleaning them they should all close (ie hide away from!) any that don't give them a tap and if they still don't close they are dead so chuck them. If any are broken throw them away as well.

When you cook them they should open up again (so you can eat them!) if they don't then throw those ones away too.

The kind you get vacum packed in the supermarket chiller aisle have already been cleaned, sorted + cooked.. you just have to heat them through again (bit like prawns I suppose).

grannybroon

We are lucky that we live beside the sea and the next village along is a fishing village so only ever buy mussels from the fish shop at the harbour. Main thing definitely as above is to prep properly and then discard any that are open before cooking and any that don't open after cooking.

I usually just bung the mussels in a pan with a good dollop of white wine, some garlic and some mixed herbs. Few minutes on high and then serve with crusty bread! Yum my mouth is watering!

GB

HappyIdiotTalk

Pink-winged wrote: »

Hi HappyIdiotTalk,

Yes, the mussels in string bags in the supermarket will be live ones. You should never buy uncooked dead mussels, although it's fine to buy them ready cooked.

The problem with dead mussels is that you don't know how long they've been dead for and they could cause poisoning. Seafood poisoning is not funny!

When you buy mussels you need to wash them thoroughly and debeard them (pull any seaweedy stuff off them). While washing them you'll probably notice some of them opening and closing. Any that are wide open and don't close when tapped should be discarded as they are dead.

Once cooked the mussels should all open.....any that don't have been dead before cooking so don't try to prise them open, just throw them away.

Hope this helps,

Pink

Thanks Pink, I'm going to get some friday and have a bash at them. I've always really loved mussels at restaurants and stuff but have never had the confidence to cook them myself. Especially after my Lidl crab disaster. But I'm increasingly trying new stuff and think I'm ready to give them a bash.

Just so I know, do they have to be used the same day or could they wait intil the next? I dont want to get them Friday if its cruel or dangerous to use them Saturday.

Many thanks to all who posted!

Pink.

HappyIdiotTalk wrote: »

Just so I know, do they have to be used the same day or could they wait intil the next? I dont want to get them Friday if its cruel or dangerous to use them Saturday.

I'd normally try to buy them on the day I plan to use them, however I have kept them overnight in the bottom of the fridge and used them the next day and they've been fine.

Please come back and tell us how you get on. You've put me in the notion for mussels now. :drool:

Pink

pigpen

moneysavinmonkey wrote: »

I get mine from the fish man at the weekly market. I don't like a lot of seafood but love mussels as they don't taste fishy and are really cute.

They are so not cute.. they look like a womans underneath!!!!!!!!

My gran used to buy then.. soak them in a bucket with a handful of oats, a handful of salt and some cold water and the live ones would open up.. she would sling out all the dead ones and cook them in a huge pan on the stove.. smelled.. well.. fishy!!!! (we used to go winkling and gather those too.. SCRUMMY!!!)

Any that I couldn't manage to eat in 24 hours would be pickled!!!!!!!!!!

Nothing as heavenly as pickled mussels.. now I'm going to have to buy some too!!