These mussels have been farmed in Narragansett Bay or Block Island, Rhode Island on ropes suspended in the water. Because the ropes keep them away from much of the flotsam and jetsam that wild mussels have to contend with, they tend to have prettier shells.
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.
