Guide to preparing mussels
Soft, small and sweet Australian blue mussels make a superb treat any night of the week.
These mighty morsels are both flavoursome and nutritious.
Preparing mussels for cooking is surprisingly easy. It only takes a few simple steps and you are on your way to creating a masterpiece with mussels.
Where to get your mussels
1kg Kinkawooka farmed mussels are readily available at your local supermarket or specialty seafood store.
Because mussels are sold live, you will need to keep them stored in the coldest part of your fridge before cooking. And care must be taken to prevent any stress on the mussels which can impact their quality and flavour.
If you want to skip the mess or preparation, you can purchase our premium brands – Kinkawooka Shellfish and Boston Bay Mussels. We take care of the prep work for you, by scrubbing, debearding and packaging the mussels ready for you to cook.
Steps to preparing mussels
If you go down the path of choosing loose mussels, there are three steps for preparing mussels so they’re ready to cook and eat.
1. Clean and scrub
Farmed mussels come with a cluster of natural debris attached to their shells. This needs to be removed before being cooked.
Simply place the loose mussels in a colander in the sink and run water over them. Use your hands or a scrubbing brush to remove the debris like sand, barnacles or seaweed on the shell.
Be careful not to disturb the mussels or chip the shells as they may open their shells and lose the sea water contained inside.
Our mussels come cleaned and scrubbed – no mess, no fuss.
2. Remove the ‘beard’
The next step is to debeard the mussels. The beard is a clump of hair-like fibres that comes from the shell. The mussel uses the beard to hold onto a surface while it grows.
To remove the beard simply grab it with your thumb and forefinger and tug it toward the hinge of the mussel shell. You can also use a knife to gently scrape it away, if you prefer.
Our mussels are already debearded – rinse them from the packet and they are good to go.
3. Store mussels until ready for cooking
Once the mussels are cleaned and debearded, they are ready to cook and eat.
If you are not ready to cook them straight away, make sure you store them in the coldest part of the refrigerator for up to two days.
The possibilities for cooking mussels are endless. You can try steaming mussels in a white wine sauce or with garlic butter.
Because mussels have a mild flavour, they are great to pair with almost any flavour… from chilli to tomato sauce, parsley and garlic.
Our mussels can be stored in the fridge for up to 10 days. Always follow the expiry date on the packet.
Save time with our mess-free mussels
Here at Eyre Peninsula Seafoods, we know a thing or two about mussels. We have been harvesting Australian blue mussels for over two decades. We know what it takes to produce the finest quality mussels.
And because we take care of the cleaning, scrubbing and debearding process, you can keep your hands – and kitchen – clean. Our mussels are ocean fresh and sustainably harvested… so you only get the best that nature has to offer.
Learn more about how to choose mussels or pick up a packet of our premium mussels at your local supermarket or specialty seafood store.