Blue mussel | DE L'EAU À LA BOUCHE

Illustration couleur de trois moules fermées et une ouverte.

Two black calcareous valves, having a blue tinge, that protect the meat.

The female’s meat is pink or orange, whereas the male’s is white.

The mantle builds the shell and protects the mussel’s organs.

The byssal threads, which are adhesive, are also known as the mussel’s beard. They enable the mussel to attach itself to the substrate.

The foot is made up of muscles that enable the mussel to move, albeit very slowly.

Name

Blue mussel
Mytilus edulis

Type

Seafood - molluscs

Other names

Common mussel, “Esh ka uasheshkunishit” (in Innu)

Kitchen name

Mussel, blue mussel

Resource status

Not determined

Consumption season

Year-round, because of mariculture.

SIZE:

1 to 10 cm in length.

LIFE EXPECTANCY:

Up to 24 years.

LIFE CYCLE:

Mussels have distinct sexes. Fertilization takes place in the water between May and August when mussels release their reproductive cells. After just a few hours, the larvae are born and swim in the water for three to four weeks before being able to attach themselves to a solid substrate. Once formed, its shell grows along with its soft body. The larger the mussel, the less easily it can detach itself from its anchor. As an adult, it will cling to one spot permanently.

Exceptional filter feeders

Adult mussels, around 30 mm in size, can pump 4 L of water per hour. They are the most efficient filter feeders. This also means that they are also the mollusc species that absorbs the most toxins. Do not panic, however! Controls on mussels destined for consumption are strict and very regular.

Coastal zone, in shallow, temperate waters, on a support to which it can affix itself.

The blue mussel is highly tolerant of variations in temperature and salinity.

Photograph of a cluster of blue mussels on a rock.

Blue mussels gather on supports.
Credit: Richard Larocque, photo taken at Anse-des-Roches, at 20 m depth.

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PREYS:

Plankton

Mussels filter water to feed on plankton.

PREDATORS:

Crustaceans
Sea stars
Halibut
Flounder
Seabirds

MACHINES:

Sea farming (mussel farming).

REGULATIONS:

The blue mussel used to be the star species of Quebec mariculture. However, since the 2010s, sea ducks, which are very fond of this mollusc, have been giving mussel farmers a hard time. So much so that in 2024, few mussel farmers remain in Quebec.

Blue mussel is a Smarter seafood-listed species.

BENEFITS:

Low in calories and saturated fat. One of the richest foods in calcium and magnesium.
Also rich in protein, vitamins B12 and C, iron, zinc and antioxidants.

LET’S COOK:

Iodized with a sweet flavour and nutty aftertaste. Farmed mussels have softer, plumper and paler-yellow meat than wild mussels. They are also less likely to contain sand.

OUR CULINARY ADVICE:

Before cooking
- If the byssal threads have not been removed from the mussels, this should be done before you start cooking. Simply pull them off.
- Sort the mussels. Discard any that have broken shells, are open or won’t close when lightly tapped or shaken.
Preparation
- Mussels are cooked when their shells are fully open.

Document detailing precautionary measures for shellfish consumption. Information on storage, handling and cooking.

To avoid poisoning, it is important to always follow safe shellfish storage, handling and cooking practices.
Source: DFO

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Document detailing precautionary measures for shellfish consumption.

Bivalve shellfish such as oysters, clams, scallops, mussels and cockles feed on microscopic plankton in the water. Changes in water quality can cause bacteria, biotoxins, or viruses to build up in the shellfish tissue and make those who eat it sick.

Contaminated shellfish do not necessarily smell, taste or look different from uncontaminated shellfish.

Shellfish storing times

Refrigerate shellfish immediately after purchase and during transport
Never refreeze thawed shellfish
Freezer -18°C (0°F) or colder
Shucked (out of shell) 3-4 months
Don’t freeze live mussels, clams and oysters
Refrigerator 0-4°C (32-40°F)
Shucked (out of shell) 1-2 days
Live mussels and clams 2-3 days
Live oysters 7-10 days

Handling shellfish

Live shellfish are in an open container covered with a damp towel
Shucked shellfish (out of shell) are in a tightly closed container
Raw shellfish and its juices do not touch other foods
Thaw shellfish in the refrigerator and use within 12 hours
Thaw shellfish by immersing in cold water for about an hour in a leak-proof plastic bag
If you cook shellfish immediately, microwave it on ‘defrost’ setting until the shellfish package is softened, but still icy
Do not keep oysters at room temperature longer than 60 minutes
Going on a picnic? Keep shellfish in a cooler
Cooked shellfish should be eaten within 3 days
Alcohol and hot sauce do not kill harmful bacteria

Cooking shellfish

Scrub shells with a stiff brush under drinking water before cooking
Thoroughly cook shellfish to reduce the chances of foodborne illness
Throw away any shellfish that do not open once cooked
Fry – minimum 3 minutes – at 190ºC (375ºF)
Boil – in boiling water – 3 to 5 minutes – more after shells open
Steam – in a single layer – 4 to 9 minutes
Bake – preheated oven – minimum 10 minutes – at 230ºC (450ºF)

If you feel sick, call your doctor!

More information: learn more about shellfish safety at http://dfo-mpo.gc.ca/shellfish-mollusques/index-eng.htm

Species

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