Nutritional Info
- 125 kcal,
- 17 g protein,
- 3 g fat,
- 7 g carbohydrate, and
- 0 g dietary fibre.
If you’re looking for tasty recipes that have your heart health in mind, be sure to take a look at Flora’s selection of healthy recipes.
Mussels have a fresh, sweet and briny flavour, and are ideal for those who are looking to manage their cholesterol symptoms. The shell is blue-black on the outside and beautifully pearly and shiny on the inside. It takes mussels about two years before it is ready for consumption. Mussels are rich in protein and packed with vitamins and minerals. They contain more vitamin B, phosphorus and iron than red meat.
Availability
In the past, mussels were only available in months with an “r”, and this had to do with transport. Now that mussels can be kept cool during transport, they are available from July to April. From mid-April to June, Dutch mussels are not harvested so as not to disturb their reproductive process. In June, the seawater contains a lot of nutrients that allow the mussels to grow. In order to meet demand in those months, mussels are imported from elsewhere.
Mussels are available in different types and classes.
Cleaning mussels is easy. Shop-bought mussels are free of sand and have been stripped of their beard. All you need to do is quickly rinse them, check for any broken shells and verify that open mussels close again. You can do this by gently moving a small knife along the inside of the open mussel or by tapping the mussel against the sink.
If the mussel closes, it can be thrown back in with the rest. If it does not, it must be discarded with any broken mussels. Mussels that do not close again pose a threat to your health and can result in severe food poisoning.
Mussels can be prepared in a variety of different ways, but the classic and best-known method of preparation is to boil them with vegetables and a dash of wine or beer. Cook the mussels as soon as you can. Boil the mussels for 10 minutes over a high heat with some chopped onion, parsley, carrot, leek and celery and a dash of white wine or beer if you prefer.
Lift and shake the pan back and forth a few times while the mussels are boiling. When the mussels have all opened, they are ready. If you have cooked the mussels, and they remain closed, it is important to discard them immediately.
- Try stir-frying your mussels with some tomato, mushrooms and basil.
- Go for spicy Thai mussels by frying some red pepper, garlic, lemongrass, ginger and kaffir lime leaf in a little Flora spread and adding the mussels.
- Got any mussels left over? Use them in a salad, roast them with some Flora for baking and roasting, or eat them with a sandwich.
Preparation time
- Cooking: approx. 10 minutes
- Steaming: approx. 10 minutes
- Stir-frying: approx. 7 minutes
Mussels can be kept in the refrigerator until the expiry date on the packaging.
Use about 1 kg of mussels per person for optimal nutritional value.
