If you’re searching for something different to put on the table, increasing your intake of mussels might be just what you’ve been looking for. Why mussels? Mussels are one of the most well-rounded foods (no pun intended!).
Mussels are available fresh, smoked, canned and frozen. Their taste is mild, salty and the texture has just the right amount of chew. These cute little shellfish are a superfood and can be served in or out of their shells in a variety of ways. They are high in Zinc, Iron, vitamins A, B2, and B12. But they have even more going on nutritionally:
- They are low in calories — they are only about 150 calories for 3 oz.
- They are low in fat – 4 grams (1 gram of saturated fat)
- They are a great source of Omega 3 — which is reported to help your heart health by lowering triglycerides and is also good for brain health
- They are very high in protein – 20 grams per serving!
All this goodness is also pretty economical. A serving is generally about 20 mussels (or about one pound, in the shell). This should yield between 3-4 oz. of meat. One pound of mussels can serve one person a meal or two people as an appetizer.
And if all that is not enough to get you to start working on your mussels – know this — preparation is EASY! Cooking fresh mussels only takes about 10 minutes. You simply need to rinse the mussels under cool water and drain them prior to cooking. Steam or sautee a batch in garlic, onions, herbs, spices, wine, lemons or coconut milk…you get the picture. Mussels are a canvas just waiting for your culinary artistry!
You can top pastas with mussels. You can serve them on crusty bread as an appetizer. Add them to soups or top salads with them. They are also wonderful when added to stir-fry rice or noodles. But remember, if a mussel doesn’t open after cooking, don’t pry it open and eat it, just throw it away.
There’s an old wives tale that you should only buy and eat shellfish – mussels, clams, oysters — in months that have the letter “R” in them. So theoretically you should only be able to feast on these beauties from September through April. Maybe that made sense years ago before refrigeration and when you consider that the Red Tides often occur in the warmer months of spring and summer. (Red Tide is when oceans can have high levels of red-colored algae that can be toxic to humans.)
Today, most mussels are farmed and tide levels and algae concentration are closely monitored and harvesting shellfish at unsafe times is banned. Coupled with regular inspections and testing…well, it’s not likely that any bad shellfish is reaching our market.
But this might not even be why the “R” rule got started. Summertime is also a time for this little mollusk to spawn and some think they need a break to rest and repopulate. Talk to your fishmonger (that’s US!). They will tell you where their current stock comes from and be able to advise you further if you have concerns.
So, how do you know that fresh mussels ARE fresh? Smell them…they should smell like seawater and be closed up tight.
