Blue Mussels Flavor Profile
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Blue Mussels have plump, tender, sweet meats. Compared to Mediterranean Mussels, Blue Mussels have a milder flavor and do not fill the shell as fully.
Description
The majority of commercial Blue Mussels are cultivated through aqua-culture. Cultivated Blue Mussels have thin, dark blue, almost black shells. Wild Blue Mussels have thicker shells which have a silvery hue and tend to have much smaller meats. The average shell size is 2″ – 3″.
Range & Habitat
This species of Mussels are available on both sides of the Pacific Coast from Alaska to southern California, China to Russia, the Atlantic coast from Georgia to Prince Edward Island as well as Spain to the Netherlands and the Pacific coast of South America. They spawn in opposite months than Mediterranean Mussels do.
Typical Wholesale Products
They are usually sold in 5 lb increments with an average of 15-20 mussels per pound.
Availability
Blue Mussels are available all year long but are at their best from October – May when they are not spawning. Fresh seafood availability chart: green areas show peak availability, light green show limited availability.
Nutritional Informationbased upon a 6 oz (171 grams) raw edible serving.
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