Q&A for How to Clean Mussels

Most store-bought mussels are already purged (soaked to remove sand and other impurities). However, it’s always a good idea to purge wild mussels or mussels you’ve bought directly from the person who caught them. Many people choose to soak store-bought mussels anyway, just to make sure. It's also a good way to find and pick out any dead mussels or empty shells, since these will float.

You can eat all of the meat inside the mussel. Even the beard isn’t harmful to eat, but it’s not very pleasant.

If you eat a mussel that was dead for a while before you cooked it, there’s a chance you will get sick from bacteria or other microorganisms that have grown in the mussel, or from toxins released into the meat by those organisms. However, if a mussel dies right before you cook it (e.g., if you let it soak in tap water a little too long), it’s unlikely to do any harm.

Fill a pot with equal parts water and bleach. Soak the shells in the solution. Once the coating is gone, you can remove the shells from the solution. Rinse your shells thoroughly and allow to dry completely. Rub baby oil or mineral oil on the shells to restore shine.

The same way you prepare any other type of mussel.

No. That could mean they are too old or have been opened before, which could make you sick.

It may not mean anything bad! It's best to go by the smell (if they smell like the ocean, that is great, but if they smell really fishy, they are probably bad). Or if a mussel is cracked or smashed, it is probably dead and should be discarded. An open raw mussel may be okay still--try tapping it against the counter or another mussel to see if it moves and closes up. If it does, it is good. If it doesn't, throw it out. Mussels may float or sink for several different reasons, so it's not a good indicator of freshness.

Once they've been cleaned and de-bearded, they should be consumed that same day.

Yes, you can put mussels into a tub with a wet cloth on the top. They should last around 5 days. Get rid of the open ones (if there are any) before cooking.

Yes, but they need to stay refrigerated until you're ready to cook them.

No, if mussels are floating, they are dead or empty and you could potentially become ill if you ate them.

You'll generally let them thaw for a few hours, rinse them thoroughly, and prepare them as the recipe calls for.