Cleaning Mussels
Tips on Cleaning Mussels before Cooking
Any seafood cook should know the facts about cleaning mussels. Mussels are a delicious form of seafood if they are prepared correctly. Many people are often turned off to eating this type of shellfish because they have had a negative experience when eating them, most likely they got a mouthful of sand and salt. Cleaning mussels will rid them of this overbearing saltiness and sandiness, leaving behind only flavor.
Mussels are popular choices of shellfish because they are often low in price and they contain large amounts of protein, essential fatty acids and vitamins. To avoid cooking mussels with nasty insides, the best cooks will carefully choose their mussels prior to cooking them. They will search for mussels that have tightly closed shells that are solid in appearance. This means avoiding shells with holes or other visible damage.
Mussels also need to be able to breathe until they are cooked, so be sure to keep them unwrapped and cool. If they die before they are cooked they will not be edible. A good way to check if the mussels that you are thinking of purchasing are alive is to inspect their shells. The shell should be pressed tightly together and close quickly if they are slightly open. After choosing only the best appearing mussels, the next step is to soak them in clean and fresh water. Because you have kept your mussels unwrapped and able to breathe, they will still be alive when you soak them in this fresh water. This breathing process will serve to filter out some of sand and sand inside of the mussel. This process should take about 20 to 30 minutes.
An important step to remember after the soaking is complete is to avoid dumping the mussels out of their soaking water. The sand that has been removed from the mussels will end up on the bottom of the pot and pouring it will mix it all in again. So be sure to pick out each mussel from the soaking pot instead of pouring the whole thing. Place the mussels into a bowl of fresh and cold water. Then, take a brush with firm wire bristles and scrub off the outside of each mussel and rinse again. This will get rid of any other unwanted substances on the mussel that you do not wish to cook.
Once the mussels have been soaked and the sand and salt have been removed from them, then you can go for the beard. A mussel’s beard is the fiber like threads made of vegetation that stick out of the mussel’s shell. Technically these beards are called byssal threads. To remove them properly, that means in a way that will not kill the mussel itself, first locate the hinge end of the mussel. Take a dry towel that will allow you to hold onto the beard and pull the beard quickly towards the hinged end. Avoid pulling it the other direction, or towards the open part of the shell. Toss away the beards once they have been removed.
Store the freshly cleaned and beard free mussels in cold water until you are ready to cook them. Before cooking, dry each mussel with a towel. Then begin using your salt and sand free mussels to create a delicious dish that anyone can enjoy. Remember to discard any mussels that do not open after they are cooked, as this can mean they were dead when you steamed them. A good technique to double check that all sand has been removed is to strain the broth through a cheesecloth drainer before serving. By following some simple steps for cleaning mussels, you will ensure the best possible meal for yourself and your guests.