Mussels

[bookluvingbabe]

Mussels are one of my favorites but I never cook them at home  The last time I ordered them out 20 percent of the mussels in my bowl were closed.  Which seemed to be a high percentage.  What percentage do you expect to have not open when you cook them?

 

Thanks!

 

 

[Josh]

20% seems a bit high. I probably average 10% or so. One thing that has always perplexed me though is why it is taught that you shouldn't eat the ones that don't open. As long as you ensure they are all alive before cooking, you should be good to go. I pry open every last one of the suckers (same for clams), and leave no mussel behind. 

[Al Dente]

On 7/30/2016 at 10:32 AM, Josh said:

20% seems a bit high. I probably average 10% or so. One thing that has always perplexed me though is why it is taught that you shouldn't eat the ones that don't open. As long as you ensure they are all alive before cooking, you should be good to go. I pry open every last one of the suckers (same for clams), and leave no mussel behind. 

I agree, 20% seems really high. 

I thought that the ones that don't open are probably bad. Eat, or even smell, one bad mussel and you won't eat mussels for months. There's something especially revolting in that smell. Gack!

[Josh]

Oh yeah, there's no mistaking the smell of a mussel that's no bueno. I found this news article about the safety of eating ones that don't open. I haven't read the original report it refers to, but it sounds like if they pass the whiff test before cooking, you're good to go.

[dcs]

Lyon Hall serves mussels 4 ways at lunch for a mere $10 a pot.  Never had a closed one.  Never had one of those peanut sized mussel inside a full size shell that you sometimes get at other places, either.

[ktmoomau]

I do a very careful check before cooking, but the last time I cooked about a spaghetti pot worth (batches at a time, we bought way too many, but got a good deal) I had one that didn't open.  20% leads me to believe that maybe there was an inexperienced cook who didn't leave them on the heat long enough to pop the others open, or did a terrible job cleaning them.  It is pretty easy, either run under cold water and they snap close, or snap them close and they don't reopen or toss them.