Mussels?

Do I need to soak mussels to remove sand and grit like I soak clams?

I let the mussels rest several hours in sea water to allow them to spit out sand and debris. 
I make sure to cook the mussels that I harvest on the same day, so they are still alive, if any shells are open after cleaning them, I discard them - and if any shells don't open during cooking, I discard them too.

Before you go out, always check the hotline for quarantines and closures.

https://www.oregon.gov/oda/programs/foodsafety/shellfish/pages/shellfishclosures.aspx

This is important. Right now WA ocean crab and clams are closed due to high demoic acid levels.

No need for soaking/purging in my experience, though I suppose if you are pulling them off the rocks down low by the sand they may take some in.

Follow Barb's advice regarding the ones that don't open in the cooking.

There's a famous Good Eats episode on mussels that is very informative.

Left in a bowl or bin in the fridge, NOT IN WATER but with a damp towel or paper towels over the top, they should make 2-3 days. They never get the chance at my place. In fact there's plain few foraging foods better suited to catch-and-cook in the field than mussels. I keep a can of marinara and a jetboil in my vehicle at all times, just in case.

Thanks about using damp towels and not water.  Lots of YouTube videos where they let them soak in water for an extended time.

They won't last around me, either, but they'll have to sit still until it's dinnertime - there'll be no marinara hanging around in my truck, thank you - and now I know the right way to do it.

Appreciate it.

No need for soaking/purging in my experience, though I suppose if you are pulling them off the rocks down low by the sand they may take some in.

Follow Barb's advice regarding the ones that don't open in the cooking.

There's a famous Good Eats episode on mussels that is very informative.

Left in a bowl or bin in the fridge, NOT IN WATER but with a damp towel or paper towels over the top, they should make 2-3 days. They never get the chance at my place. In fact there's plain few foraging foods better suited to catch-and-cook in the field than mussels. I keep a can of marinara and a jetboil in my vehicle at all times, just in case.

If you plan to harvest mussels from the jetty, avoid the ones on the beach side in the surf zone.  I harvested some a few months ago on the beach side of Barview, during low tide, purged them  for several hours, threw them in some marinara, and they still had sand. 

So disappointing.

Cornmeal in their water works well with clams.

It became moot Friday.  They posted health advisories and closed the area to clamming on Friday.  I like mussels, but not enough to leave town to find them.  Not this year.

I have harvested mussels for years.
Mainly in Northern California but I apply the same tactics here.

I only harvest mussels that are on vertical structures.
I keep telling myself that the ones that grow vertically on walls and such don’t trap that much sand.

I mean...hey I read it on the internet so it has to be true .
Surprisingly it is kinda true.

When I am un kitting my gear I like to soak them a bit in a bucket and change that out every now and then while I am changing my gear, tying up the kayaks and tending to my crabs.

Where we are at sometimes during the beginning of crab season after I drop my 2 crab pots I like to go kayaking around the area to kill time on a crab soak.

I found out that I can just unroll a bucket of mussels from the nearby docks in a matter  of a couple of minutes and that is taking my time.

This is the easiest way ever.
No more paying them off with sharp pointy knives.
No more effing  up my knife tips up either.

Just a couple of easy cuts and they just fillet off or roll off so to speak.

I like to cook mine in a white wine with a garlic/butter mix of crap served on a pasta dish.

Once you roll off a couple hundred mussels the easy way you’ll never go back.

All the best.
Andy.

I use a small prybar what I bought at the dollar store for a dollar.

Avoid the super large ones, they will be tough. My rule of thumb is I take the ones that are as long as my thumb, but no longer than my traffic finger.

Give them a good rinse and a scrub with a stiff bristle brush to knock off the loose bits (again, dollar store wire brush works well) and the fibrous "beard" that holds them together you can grab and twist off with a longnose pliers (again, dollar store tool aisle is appropriate for this).

Do NOT do this in your kitchen sink. The beard fibers will absolutely destroy a disposal machine, and will also wreak havoc on a roto-rooter's blade set. Best to get two buckets - one with rinse water, and one over which you do the scrubbing and beard removal. Dispose in the yard as grey water. Dollar store dish pans work great for this, too !

Perfectly cromulent equipment for this comes from the dollar store, and if the tools rust (and they will) you don't really care.

The correct preparation is to open a jar of marinara and simmer the mussels in sauce until they open, served with lots of garlic bread.

Also, please don't just wrench a bunch off the rocks and discard the smalls. Those are the juveniles and need to be left where they are to grow for the future.

traffic finger I've never heard that quote before hella funny.

traffic finger I've never heard that quote before hella funny.

We try not to encourage him too often...