Live Maine Mussels

$112 to $155
5- 10 lbs | Free Shipping

Fresh mussels are a tasty and elegant source of healthy protein.  Their sweet, tender meat is particularly popular in Europe, on the east coast of the US, and in parts of Asia.  Easy to prepare, they can be served simply with French fries or a baguette, paired with other seafood like clams, oysters and crabs, or used in more elaborate classic European & Asian dishes.

These mussels have been wild harvested from the ocean bottom off the coast of Maine and are available in two sizes:

Normal: 10-15 Mussels Per Pound, 2 ½” – 3” shells
Extra Large: 6-9 Mussels Per Pound, More than 3” Shells

The state closely regulates wild mussel harvest for continued sustainability.

After harvest, these mussels are stored in a high tech, refrigerated flowing seawater system that keeps them fresher, tastier, and alive longer than other mussels on the market.  While in this wet holding area, they naturally clean themselves of sand, bacteria and grit by filtering the clean seawater.

When an order is placed, the mussels are removed from this storage system and inspected. The beards are "shaved" very close to the shell, but left intact to keep the mussels alive. (What's left of these beards typically diminish once the mussel is cooked.) These mussels are incredibly fresh at the time of shipment and will keep well in your refrigerator for 5-7 days after their ship date. (Please see our Storage section below for more specific recommendations on how to keep your mussels fresh if you won't be preparing and enjoying them right away.)

About Open Mussels: If your mussels arrive with several of their shells open (or you find many of them are open when you get ready to cook them), do not despair.  Contrary to popular belief, they may not be dead, just thirsty.

Briefly rinse (do not soak) all open mussels in cold tap water.  They should begin to close.  Any that remain open should be thrown out.

Size:

Choose 5, or 10lbs and Either Normal or Extra Large Mussels

Features:

  • Live, In Shell
  • Wild (Bottom Cultured)
  • Naturally Longer Shelf Life
  • Pre-Cleansed of Sand & Grit
  • Beards Pre-Removed

Season:

Year Round

Origin:

Maine

Shipping Limitations:

Cannot ship on Tuesdays. We are unable to ship live shellfish to Louisiana or Hawaii.

Storage:

If you will be eating your mussels soon after arrival, you can simply store them in a bowl in your refrigerator covered with a damp towel.


For ideal storage, you may want to keep them on ice.  See how to store shellfish for a tutorial.


For long term storage, leftover mussel meat can be frozen.

Shelf Life:

Fresh on Ice: 5-7 days from date shipped.
Frozen Meat: Up to three months. Up to 2 days once thawed.

If preparing and serving mussels in the shell, you may want to give them a scrub with a wire brush before cooking so they look better at the table.

Soaking live mussels in flour-water before cooking can make them taste and look even better.  Read How to Prep Live Mussels for more info.

In-shell mussels can be steamed or grilled, removing individual mussels from the heat as they open. If you remove the mussels from their shells prior to cooking, they can be fried, broiled, sautéed, baked or smoked.

Mussels pair well with flavors like white wine, garlic, cream, cayenne pepper, tarragon, other shellfish (oysters, crab and clams), lemon juice & zest, thyme, pork, saffron, shallots, and tomatoes. A common side with mussels in Europe is French fries (perhaps with a spicy aioli).

Any in-shell mussels that do not open during the cooking process should be discarded.

How to Steam Mussels
Mussel Recipes

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