How to Debeard Mussels

Fresh mussels on sale at the seafood store are a treat, but then you need to take them home and prepare them. You notice a hairy protrusion coming out of the side of the mussel shell and you have no idea how to remove it or even what it is. It's the equivalent of a five o'clock shadow, commonly called the beard. It's a simple job to yank it out and your treat will be fresh mussels for dinner.

Instructions

1

Check out your batch of fresh mussels. Discard any that are open. This indicates that the bi-valve inside is dead.

2

Soak the mussels in a pot of cold water that has a cup of corn meal in it for an hour. All bi-valves continue to circulate water through their system and the theory of the cornmeal in the water is so that your mussels will take it in and the cornmeal will help expel any sand they have inside.

3

Set aside those that have a beard. These are the byssal threads that mussels use to attach themselves to rocks or piers. You may use your fingers or a set of pliers to grasp the beard and pull it quickly toward the hinge of the shell. The beard rips out of the mussel and should be discarded.

4

Use a stiff brush on the shell of the mussels to scrub away sand and other things that may be clinging. Immediately place the mussels in a cooking pot and proceed to cook them at a high heat until the shells are open.