Fresh mussels are delicious when eaten with a sauce or tossed into a pasta dish, and you can easily enjoy them from the comfort of your own home.To keep them healthy and tasty while being cooked and prepared, mussels need to have the ocean dirt and sand removed from them, as well as the beards emerging from the shells.Buy live mussels and clean them before eating them.
Step 1: When you get home from the store, inspect the mussels.
The mussels are at risk of suffocating if the packaging is not removed immediately.If you don't have time to sort through them immediately, cover them with ice and move them out of the package.If you need to buy them before cooking them, they can last in the fridge for 1 to 2 days.
Step 2: The cracked, smashed or open mussels can make you sick.
Look at them individually.Any mussels that have large cracks across them need to be thrown away.They are probably already dead.If a mussel is open, that means it has died and should be thrown away.Some gaping mussels don't need to be thrown away.You can quickly test to see if it is still alive by tapping it on the counter.If it closes, you can use it.Throw it away if it does not move.Some mussels that are stressed, but not dead, will open slightly, so give them a quick check before throwing them out.
Step 3: Store fresh seafood.
Put the good mussels in a bowl and cover them with a bag of ice.The bag needs to be covered with a dishcloth.This will keep the mussels alive until you can cook them.You could use damp paper towels if you don't want to use a dishcloth.
Step 4: Fresh mussels can be used within 1 to 2 days of purchase.
It is a good idea to leave them in the fridge for 1 to 2 days.If you leave them for a few more days, make sure they smell like the ocean and don't get slimy.You can store your mussels in the freezer for up to 3 months if you can't use them in time.
Step 5: For 15 minutes, soak the mussels in salt water.
1/3 cup of kosher salt with 3 cups of cold water.When the salt is incorporated, whisk the mixture.Set a timer for 15 minutes after adding your mussels to the bath.As the mussels soak in the salt water, they will expel salt and dirt from their shells.It will give you a nicer eating experience because it helps purify them.
Step 6: The mussels need to be moved from the bath to a strainer.
Once the 15 minutes are up, spoon the mussels out of the salt bath and put them in a strainer in your sink.You can drain and clean the bowl after the mussels have been removed.The salt that was released during the salt soak will end up back on top of the mussels, so don't dump the water and mussels into the colander.
Step 7: Pull the beard toward the hinge to remove it from the mussels.
Pick the mussels up individually and check for any appendages.Pull the beard between your thumb and forefinger to remove it.If you can't remove the beard with your fingers, try grasping it with a paper towel or a knife.It's okay if you can't get the entire beard off.They will not hurt you if you cook them in with your meal.
Step 8: Run cold water over the de-bearded mussels.
As you clean the mussels, turn on the water and let it run over the beards.Cool to cold water is the way to go.Take a moment to remove any beards you missed earlier.
Step 9: Sand and grime can be removed from the shells by scrubbing them.
Use a scrub brush to clean the mussels.It shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes to clean an entire batches of sand and dirt.The shell of the mussel should be smooth.If you feel bumps or rough spots, it's a good idea to scrub that area a bit harder.
Step 10: You may have missed dead or damaged mussels.
To make sure the mussels are still alive, always check them.If you see any that is cracked or open, throw them out.It is a good idea to get rid of any suspicious mussels.The last thing you want is to get food poisoning.
Step 11: Before you cook the cleaned mussels, dry them on paper towels.
As you clean the rest of your mussels, put them on a clean paper towel and let them dry.You can cook them if you dry them after they have been cleaned.If you don't use paper towels, you can put them on a clean dish towel.