I eat mussels frequently, both the store-bought variety and those that I gather here on the coast of Maine. The ones I gather (you gather at low tide) are harder to clean because they are often covered with barnacles and the beard is hard to remove, but they taste the same as store-bought to me.
I believe that a shell that will not close is a dead mussle and I’ve got a couple of good reasons to think so. In the first place, the ones from the wild always close their shell. And secondly, when I get them at the store a 2 lb. bag usually has maybe 4 that won’t close OR MANY that won’t close, suggesting that they are old.
I’ve learned that you have to be really mean to them before you decide they won’t close. The first time you go through them tap all the open ones. Then go through all those again and really whack any that still did not close. Give them a few minutes and you’d be surprised at how many close that initally were stubborn.
Opps! All that and I forgot to answer the question…
I’ve never had one that did not open in cooking. Ususally they open wide, but occasionally one will open just a sliver.
I have also gathered wild periwinkles. I have read that they serve them in English pubs–Winkies, they call them. Although there are billions and billions of them on the Maine coast, I read that they are not native but came accross on the ships many years ago.
Thanks to all, this thread was an entertaining read.
Special thanks to Mangetout for the spot of research. It was the “why” of opening/not opening that was bugging me, and it looks like you hit it on the nose.
As long as we’re on the subject of mussels… My Mom had a cookbook a long while ago that had instructions for mussels and clams, saying that after you bring them home, you should put them in a pot of cold water and leave in the refrigerator overnight. For mussels you were supposed to add oatmeal (?) to the water , and for clams, you add cornmeal (?). The concept is that the shellfish will eat the food overnight and become fatter. Does anyone here do this?
