Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 2: Buying mussels
• Method 2 of 2: Peeling Mussels
• What do you need

Knowing how to buy and peel mussels will help you make the best choices when it comes to food choices and make a delicious seafood dinner. Cooking mussels is easy, just boil them for a couple of minutes. However, your knowledge of mussel selection and preparation will help you create an impressive, elegant main course with a minimum of effort.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: Buying mussels

1. 1 Buy live mussels. Choose mussels with tightly closed shells. Avoid mussels with open shells. An open shell alone does not mean that the mussel is necessarily bad. In intact mussels, the shell is slightly open. If it's open, just touch. If the shell of the mussel closes, then it is still alive. If the shell does not close, discard the mussel.
2. 2 Choose only fresh mussels. The shell of the mussel should be moist and shiny. It should smell like the ocean.
3. 3 Don't buy mussels with broken, cracked, torn shells.
4. 4 Avoid mussels with unexpected weight proportions. Don't buy mussels that are too large or too small after peeling.

Method 2 of 2: Peeling Mussels

1. 1 You need to peel the mussels before direct cooking. Like all seafood, meat is considered fresh if you can cook and eat it right away. If you will be waiting a few days before preparing the mussels, store them in the refrigerator and keep them moist. Mussels will live longer if you don't peel them until you are ready to cook them.
2. 2 Get rid of seashells on wild mussels. Use a small, stiff brush and water to wash the inner mussels and remove the algae from the clams.
3. 3 Wash the mussels outside. Place your mussels in a colander or tray. Rinse several times under running fresh water. This will remove dirt and sand from the mussels. Do not immerse the mussels in water or soak, this will kill the clams.
4. 4 Tear off the barbs. Some mussels, mostly grown artificially, are sold without barbs. However, if you still have barbs, like on wild mussels, you will need to cut them off. To remove barbs from mussels, grasp the brown, viscous tuft between the two shells with your hand and pull firmly. During this process, the beard may come off. If not, use a sharp knife or scissors to separate the beard away from the mussel.

What do you need

• Mussels
• Sharp knife
• Colander
• Water