Mussels are abundant worldwide and the perfect choice for the environmentally conscious seafood enthusiast. They are prolific by nature which means they will grow on anything submerged, from jetties to the hulls of boats, they will cling on to anything available in their environment. Most mussels that are available commercially are however farm-raised and are usually cultivated on ropes in tide pools, bays and along coastlines. They live on the ropes for around two to three years until they are 2-3 inches long and ready to be harvested.

Since mussels are filter feeders their quality is determined by their environments. They need to be in a remote area with strong currents to ensure the water they live in is always fresh with oxygen and plenty of plankton to feed on. This is why mussels have a reputation of being dangerous to eat. Gathering your own mussels may sound tempting, but it is indeed very dangerous to harvest your own, as the water they live in could be contaminated. Don’t take any chances and buy your mussels from a trusted seafood supplier.

The best tasting mussels come from the clean, cool waters off of Prince Edward Island, Canada. Served in high class seafood restaurant across the world Prince Edward Island mussels are known for their sweet, tender meat.

Buying Mussels Online

There are great advantages to buying mussels online. The number one advantage being freshness, that is because when you purchase mussels at a local store or restaurant they have spent a large amount of time in transit from the harvester to the distributor and the distributor to the retail outlet where they are available for purchase to you, the consumer.

When you order them online they are delivered direct from the harvester with next day shipping, so they are at their very freshest when they reach your plate. The other big advantage to buying online is the wide assortment available, you can buy mussels from Canada, Greenland and a myriad of other locations.

If you do choose to buy your mussels locally make sure to buy specimens with tightly closed shells. If the shells are open or cracked they have likely spoiled and should not be consumed. Color is not an indicator of quality when it comes to mussels but is simply an indicator of sex, orange being female and whiter orange being male.

Preparing Mussels

If you bought your mussels online they will come in a wax coated, insulated, multi layered box with an ice-gel pad to keep them cool. Whether you bought your mussels online or at the local store you should eat them the day you receive them if you don’t know how fresh they are. Place your mussels into a sink of cold water and examine them for opened shells. If you find an open shell tap it and it should close immediately. If it doesn’t close discard it as it has spoiled. The next step is to remove their beards and give them a good scrubbing to remove all the sea grime and barnacles.

Storing Mussels

- If you can’t eat your mussels the day you get them home for whatever reason, place them in bowl covered with a damp towel and refrigerate them. They will keep for 2 to 3 days.

- Uncooked, shucked mussels should be stored in a covered bowl with water or liquor in the refrigerator and will keep for 2 days.

- You may also choose to freeze your mussels. If this is the case, wrap the meat in freezer paper and freezer bag and they will stay good for up to 2 months. To thaw mussels refrigerate them over night or if time is a concern put them in a water proof bag and run cold water over them, allowing 30 minutes per pound.

Cooking Mussels

Place your mussels in a large, heavy duty pan and steam them on medium heat. When their shells start to open that is an indicator that they are done. They cook quickly so be sure not to overcook them or the meat will be rubbery and unpleasant. If any fail to open throw them out.

Mussels go well with many flavorings. Europeans often steam them in white wine with garlic and preferred herbs while Asians enjoy them in coconut, lemon grass and ginger.

Also, the liquor you cook them in makes a very good bread dip to go along with your mussels.