Fish
Molluscs
Blue Mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis)
Description
The Blue Mussel has an oval-shaped shell that is black on the outside and blue on the inside. The colour of the meat in mature mussels is orange in female and cream in males.
Habitat
Blue Mussels occur naturally on the southern coast of Australia in a wide range of estuarine and marine environments. Provided they are in a moist, cool environment, mussels will live out of water for up to 8 days in summer and 12 days in winter. They do this by gaping open and breathing.
Martin's Seafoods supply mussels from Spring Bay Seafoods in Tasmania. Spring Bay Mussels are grown on long lines 6 metres below the surface in flowing currents. These unique growing conditions produce first-class mussels that are categorised by:
- Consistently large mussels up to 100mm in length
- Beautifully clean, dark shells
- A 'clean water' taste ñ you taste nothing but the mussel.
Remarks
The best way to store mussels is to cover them with ice. Never soak mussels ñ always allow melted ice to drain away. Also, do not store in store-tight containers as they will suffocate. To test to see if a gaping mussel is alive, just tap gently on the shell. If the mussel is alive, it will start to close.
Don't overcook mussels. Steam them until they open and pull away from the shell (usually about 4 minutes). If a mussel has not opened after this cooking time it is perfectly OK to eat.
Mussels are high in protein and healthy omega-3 fatty acids. They are relatively low in calories and fat and have exceptional nutritional value.
