How to clean frozen and fresh mussels

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Mussels are considered one of the most nutritious delicacies. These seafood are actively used in the cuisines of many countries of the world, even if they are not typical for a particular area. Before you start cooking culinary masterpieces, it is important to know how to properly clean the mussels, otherwise you can spoil the taste and aroma of the dish.

Frozen and fresh cooked clams are handled differently. Each method has its own nuances and features. Proper pre-treatment will not only produce a nutritious and satisfying meal, but also ensure that you get the benefit of an unusual meat composition.

How to clean frozen mussels? Let's look at this later in the article.

What are mussels

These are bivalves that live in sea and river waters. Inside the shells there is a liquid substance, which during heat treatment turns into a tasty dense piece of meat, which has a white,yellow or orange. In food, you can eat the internal contents located under the valves. But it's important to know how to cut and clean mussels, as they can harbor sand, dirt, and algae that can become a source of infection.

Useful properties

Mussels contain almost three times more protein than other shellfish. They are also rich in phosphorus compounds, fatty polyunsaturated acids, contain many vitamins and trace elements. Regular consumption of mussels reduces the risk of developing arthritis and cancer. The meat of these shellfish has a positive effect on the functioning of the brain and liver, on vision and contributes to the overall strengthening of immunity.

How to select mussels

Before the mussels are cleaned and cooked, they must be sorted out. To do this, mollusks with open or damaged shells will have to be thrown away. Also, overly heavy specimens are not suitable, since they most likely have a lot of sand inside.

Small clams are usually soaked in cool water. Large seafood grown on marine farms does not need to be soaked.

The most common in stores are frozen mussels. They should not show signs of repeated freezing and thawing (cracks in ice floes and frost).

Defrosting mussels

Thaw frozen mussels without shells before peeling them.

This is best done gradually. So the process will be more natural and will less affect the texture and taste of meat. For defrosting, seafood is initially placed in the refrigerator from the freezer, and after a few hours they take it out and continue defrosting already at room temperature.

To speed up the process, mussels can be placed in a bag, then put in a bowl of cold water, pressing down on top with a press so that the seafood is completely immersed in water.

After defrosting the product, it must be soaked in cold water for several hours. This is necessary in order to separate dirt from the shells that can spoil the dish. When the mussels are soaked, they should be carefully removed from the water so as not to disturb the sand that has settled on the bottom of the container.

The next cleaning step is rinsing each shell under running water, removing the threads with which the mussels cling to the rocks and the seabed. You also need to remove the antennae. They are best removed with pliers by pulling towards the base of the sink. After that, it is necessary to clean each mussel well with a brush.

The classic cooking option is to immerse seafood in hot water and boil for 10-15 minutes until the shells open completely. You can add a small amount of white wine to the broth, so the meat will be more fragrant and tender. Take out with a slotted spoon. Only those shells that are fully opened are served to the table, the rest are thrown away.

After the clams are cooked, the meat from them can be freely and easily separated.

How to clean fresh mussels

Fresh products on store shelves come mainly from coastal cities, so you have to use quick-frozen seafood. Nevertheless, it is worth knowing how to clean chilled mussels.

First of all, open shells are immediately removed. If they are not fully open, you can press on them. If they slam shut, then the mollusk is still alive, and processing should continue.

Fresh shells should be soaked to remove sand, tendrils, threads removed and brushed.

How to extract the meat

In stores you can buy peeled mussel meat in boiled and frozen form. It can be used immediately in any dish.

But seafood in the sink will look more aesthetically pleasing on the dining table. And here it is important to know how to get a tender piece of meat out of it. For this, cutlery is used: a fork for mussels, tongs. With their help, you can easily get the meat from the shells. The shell is held with tongs, and a meat piece is removed with a fork, which does not need to be peeled, since all the contents are edible.

It is not forbidden to eat seafood with your hands.