Mussels Guide: Types, Taste, Buying & Recipe Ideas
Mussels are bivalve shellfish with savory meat and a briny cooking liquor that becomes the base of a sauce. This guide helps you choose the right format and find a preparation that fits your meal. Our live PEI blue mussels are supplied in a 10 lb bag.
Blue, black and green-lipped mussels
Blue mussels commonly have dark blue-black shells; “black mussels” is also used as a market description and does not by itself identify a species or origin. New Zealand green-lipped mussels are a different product, often sold frozen on the half shell. Check the label when choosing a recipe and portion size.
Live, frozen and canned are different formats
- Live mussels: require inspection, cleaning and cooking.
- Frozen mussels: may be raw or cooked, whole or on the half shell. Follow the package directions.
- Canned mussels: use a ready-to-eat product where the recipe calls for it; the packing liquid and seasoning affect the dish.
Plan the meal before opening the bag
Shell-on weight includes the shells and is not the weight of edible meat. Plan roughly a pound per person for a mussel-focused main course, with adjustments for appetites and side dishes. A large bag is best cooked in several batches rather than crowded into one pot. Check the actual pack size and delivery options before ordering.
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Choose your next guide
- Buying, storing and cleaning live mussels
- Steamed mussels with garlic and white wine
- Mussels pasta
- Mussel recipes with tomato, chorizo, fennel and herbs
- Understanding mussel nutrition and serving weight
What about farming?
Farmed mussels feed by filtering naturally occurring food from the water. Growing conditions and harvest controls still matter. Our mussel farming guide explains the process; the sustainability guide covers its benefits and limits.
Build a shellfish menu
Mussels suit broths, pasta and shared pots. Geoduck has a firmer siphon and abalone a muscular foot, so they should not simply be substituted using mussel cooking times. Compare formats in Mussels, Geoduck & Abalone.
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