Mussels are environmentally friendly as the mussels you buy are most often farmed mussels.
Mussel farming has virtually no negative environmental impact, and the shellfish clean up the sea.
Eating farm-grown mussels may be a greener option than becoming a vegan, according to a study by the Ecological Society of America.
Mussels do need to be soaked before cooking them so that they will expel any sand they may have in them.
Just before cooking the mussels, soak your mussels in fresh water for about 20 minutes.
As the mussels breathe, they filter water and expel sand.
After about 20 minutes, the mussels will have less salt and sand stored inside their shells.
For best results and faster cooking times you should thaw the mussels before cooking them.
Although you can also steam the mussels without thawing them if you want to.
Steam frozen mussels still in the shell for three or four minutes in a covered saucepan over medium-high heat with butter, garlic, and a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, then reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes longer.
The shells should open; discard any that remain closed.
Frozen mussels are not alive as when frozen the mussels die in the freezer.
If you buy frozen mussels they are usually partially cooked.
You can freeze mussels, but you must do so carefully. When freezing fresh mussels, they should be live when frozen.
They will die in the freezer, but they will remain safe to eat.
Mussels are so cheap because the mussels are farmed mussels and they also don't require as much feed as some other farmed shellfish do.
The mussel aquaculture is zero-input, meaning that the mussels don't need food or fertilizer—unlike farmed shrimp or salmon, which require tons of feed and produce a great deal of waste.
But mussels are cheaper, not to mention—in this writer's opinion—generally tastier and easier to love.)
Mussels are very good for you and your health as they are packed full of iron and other nutrients.
You should not eat mussels during the summertime as mussels in the summertime can get red tide and become toxic.
Shellfish can be problematic in the summer for several reasons.
The first has to do with red tides, vast blooms of algae that collect along coastlines, usually in warm weather.
They can spread toxins that are soaked up by oysters, clams and mussels.
You can eat too many mussels and get mercury poisoning.
However eating mussels in moderation is healthy and it's unlikely that you would even come close to eating enough mussels before it became a problem.
It has been known for a long time that consumption of mussels and other bivalve shellfish can cause poisoning in humans, with symptoms ranging from diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting to neurotoxicological effects, including paralysis and even death in extreme cases.
Mussels are not bad for cholesterol unless you already suffer from high cholesterol.
Mussels are mostly pretty low in cholesterol so they should not raise your cholesterol much if you eat the mussels in moderation.
However eating too many mussels could raise your cholesterol levels.
Mussels are considered to be a Superfood.
Mussels are a superfood because they are a clean and nutritious source of protein, as well as being a great source of omega 3 fatty acids, zinc and folate, and they exceed the recommended daily intake of selenium, iodine and iron.
Mussels are sustainably farmed with no negative impact to the environment.
Mussels do have Omega 3 but mussels don't contain as much Omega 3 as other oily fish do.
Mussels are not vegan as a vegan eats plant based foods and a mussel is a type of animal and is meat.
So if a vegan eats mussels they are going against the belief they have of not eating animals or meat.
It is OK if mussels are open before cooking.
Just be sure to tap the mussel to see if the mussel closes when tapped and if so the mussel is alive and okay but if the mussel stays open then it's dead and should be thrown out.
Mussels that are open before cooking are most likely still alive.
Give them a tap either with your finger or on the side of a bowl and wait for the shell to close up.
If the shell of the mussel does not close after tapping, then discard.
You can reheat cooked mussels.
The best way to reheat cooked mussels is to remove them from the shells and reheat the mussels in the microwave.
Or you could reheat the mussels in the oven.
Cooking mussels take around 5 to 7 minutes.
Cooking the mussels will take 5 to 7 minutes depending on the strength of heat, how much liquid you use, and the amount of mussels.
When the steam is pouring out from under the lid of the pot for 15 seconds, they are done!
Mussels are usually cooked alive although you can kill the mussel before cooking it.
You can buy mussels already cooked and vacuum-packed in a sauce, or cooked and frozen.
Mussels must be alive to ensure their freshness and their shells should be closed to make sure they are alive.
If any are open, they should close when tapped or squeezed.
Mussels do not open when cooked when they are dead.
Mussels that are open before cooking are most likely still alive.
Give them a tap either with your finger or on the side of a bowl and wait for the shell to close up.
If the shell does not close after tapping, then discard.
Try to time your mussels when you're cooking to ensure they are all fully open and cooked!
Mussels can be eaten raw.
Although it's not recommended to eat mussels raw because there's a potential of getting sick from bacteria.
However mussels as well as a lot of other fish are edible raw.
Raw mussels may contain bacteria or viruses that cause illness.
Avoid eating raw mussels if you're pregnant or have a compromised immune system and don't serve them to young children.
Keep the raw mussels away from other foods you're preparing to avoid cross-contamination in the kitchen.
Mussels are dead when the mussels do not float in the water.
Also the mussels are dead when they don't open and close on their own when you tap them.
Eating dead mussels can make you sick as they can contain bacteria.
Eating dead mussels can be dangerous to your health.
Mussels are a shellfish that contain omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B-12.
The meat of dead mussels deteriorates, increasing your risk of microorganism contamination, food poisoning, infectious disease and other health problems.
Mussels are bad when they are dead and when the mussel floats.
You should always discard any floating mussels that float to the top of the water as the floating mussels indicate the mussel is dead.
Good and alive mussels should close by themselves, and although some might close slowly, they are still good and alive.
If the mussels do not close, throw them out.
Discard all mussels that have broken shells or an unpleasant odor, as well as any that feel unusually heavy or light compared to the rest.
Mussels that are floating are dead and should be thrown out.
Give any open mussels a sharp tap with a knife, and discard any that fail to close (they are dead).
Place cleaned mussels in a fresh bowl of cold water until ready to use.
Change this water two or three times to remove any salt or sand that the mussels may expel.
When the mussels are alive they should not float and you should keep the mussels alive until you're ready to cook them.
Dead mussels could contain bacteria and parasites which can make you sick so you should throw out any dead mussels that are floating.
When the mussels float they are either dead or empty and if the mussels float they are bad and should be thrown out.
Mussels are a clean and nutritious source of protein, as well as being a great source of omega 3 fatty acids, zinc and folate, and they exceed the recommended daily intake of selenium, iodine and iron.
The mussels should not float and if the mussels do float it's an indicator that they are bad and dead and should not be eaten.