How to prepare mussels for cooking​

  • 12 June

About this technique

Skill level

Easy

Equipment

Colander

If your mussels are covered in mud or barnacles, rub handfuls of them together under running water before you start.

- Discard any mussels with broken shells.

- Tap any mussels that are partly open and discard those that do not close tightly.

- Rinse or dip each mussel in cold water.

- Remove the straggly, hairy 'beards' from the mussels. Tug the 'beard' in the direction of the shell's hinge (the point where the two shells join) to remove.

- If any of the mussel shells have barnacles attached, scrape them off using a serrated knife.

- Finally, you can use a nylon scouring pad to clean the shells. It will remove any remaining debris and make sure the mussels look their best, but it isn't always necessary as many mussels are bought pre-cleaned.

After cooking, discard any mussels that have not fully opened.

Recipes using this technique