If you’re a lover of fresh seafood, then you’re not alone. One of the most loved seafoods are mussels. It’s yummy and has this chewy texture that keeps you wanting for more. However, if you’re not located in a place where there’s access for freshwater shellfish, it can be devastating to handle.

Fortunately, a lot of groceries are already selling frozen seafoods, if you can’t access the bountiful seas. They are frozen for a limited time and still remain as yummy as ever. Here, we’ll show you how you can cook frozen mussels at home.

Cooking Frozen Mussels

Any frozen goods involve a good amount of prepping since they are still at its frozen state. That includes our all-time favorite, mussels. Make sure that you follow proper guidelines on preparing frozen mussels before cooking. Take note that you can’t cook them directly while it’s still frozen.

Prepping the Frozen Mussels

Step 1 Let the Mussel Thaw

  • When you take it out from the fridge, make sure you put it in a large bowl with drainer and run cold water in it to thaw. Let it thaw for at least 15 to 30 minutes or until the mussels are completely defrosted.
  • Never run a hot or warm water in it or the mussel’s meat will slowly cook and affect its taste.
  • Also, do not thaw it in a microwave oven since it still has its shell on it. It’s best to thaw it using cold running water.

Step 2 Clean the Mussels

  • Once the mussels have perfectly thawed, start washing each of them over cold running water. Make sure you get rid of any seaweed residues, rock or sand and any beard that grows on its shell.
  • Take a look at the shells if there’s anything growing near the opening. You would easily see that it’s not the meat but a fibrous-like skin that you’re not supposed to eat. Just cut those with kitchen scissors and wash the shells again until clean.

Step 3 Start Cooking the Mussels

Here’s a perfect recipe for mussels that you should try at home! This recipe is definitely simple and easy that any beginner cooks can follow. Just go through the ingredients and instructions that we’ll present to you down below.

“Homemade Spicy Mussel Risotto Recipe”

Prepping and cooking time can take up to 1 hour. Serves 4-5 persons.

You can serve it for casual dinner gatherings or just an intimate family dinner meal.

Ingredients:

  • 1 kg of thawed mussels
  • 5 tbsps. of canola oil
  • 3 garlic cloves cut in half
  • 1 cup of minced onion
  • 3 tbsps. of minced parsley
  • 1 dried hot pepper (jalapeno or habanero)
  • 5 cup of diced fresh tomatoes
  • 5 tsp of salt and pepper
  • 1 cup of white wine (any kind)
  • 2 cups Italian rice or any rice available
  • 1 liter of vegetable broth

Instructions:

  • Wash the thawed mussels thoroughly over cold running water, getting rid of any sea debris such as: weeds, sand or little rocks and fibers. If necessary, brush the shell until it’s clean and shiny to touch. Then, set aside for later.
  • In a deep skillet, heat up some canola oil over medium-high heat. Start sautéing the garlic cloves and parsley until the garlic turns to light golden brown.
  • Once it’s slightly brown, add in the diced tomatoes and season with salt. Keep sautéing until the tomatoes are a bit soft. Then, add in the hot peppers and let the mixture simmer for about 2-3 minutes.
  • After letting the tomatoes simmer, add in your mussels together with the white wine. Mix it fast until it’s well incorporated and let it simmer for another 2 minutes. Check the mussels if there are some that did not open its shells. Discard the unopened shells and keep the opened ones.
  • Remove the skillet from the stove and separate the garlic cloves, parsley and hot peppers. Leaving the tomatoes and mussels alone.
  • Separate the mussels into 2 parts, set aside the first part and the second part you will need to take out its shells. Make sure before you do this process, the mussels have enough time to cool down. Then set aside.
  • In a large pot, heat some canola oil over medium-high heat. Then, saute the onions until translucent and add in the Italian rice and continue sauteeing it for about 3 minutes.
  • Add the tomato sauce into the mixture and let it simmer for another 3 minutes. Once it simmers, add the broth and mix well with the rice mixture. Cook the rice for about 20 minutes with occasional stirring to ensure that all the broth are equally distributed.
  • Once the rice is perfectly cooked, take it out from the stove. Then take the mussels, both with shells and without shells and with the rice. Top with chopped parsley for presentation and enjoy!

Important Things to consider

  • When purchasing any frozen goods, always check or monitor the expiration date. If it has already passed its expiration date, throw the food right away. Just because it doesn’t look or smell bad, it’s safe to eat. Once it expires, it’s not safe to eat.
  • When thawing frozen goods like frozen mussels, it’s important that you cook and consume it immediately. Thawing and freezing it back again will affect the quality and safety of the food. Change of temperatures could cause food contamination that could pose health risks. It’s better safe than sorry.

Do you need to wash frozen mussels?

Do I need to clean frozen mussels? If you bought as a second option, the question is how to cook cooked and frozen blue mussels, you should not worry. They have to defrost naturally, rinse well with running water to wash away the grains of sand and pebbles. That is it; you can start to prepare your dish.

How do you clean frozen mussels before cooking?

Place the mussels in a colander in the sink and run water over them, using your hands or a clean scrubbing brush to rub off any debris like seaweed, sand, barnacles, or mud spots that could be on the shell. If you find any mussels with open shells, lightly tap that mussel against the side of the sink.

Are Frozen mussels alive?

Live mussels are still breathing when sold, they stay alive for around 4 days after harvesting if handled correctly. Frozen mussels are partially cooked, so thaw completely and add to cooking process later than live or chilled mussels.

How do you cook frozen mussels at Walmart?

Place unopened pouch into boiling water, boil for 7 minutes or until mussels are hot. **Microwave – From Frozen **Remove a vacuum-sealed pouch from outer bag. Puncture holes in pouch with a fork before placing into the microwave. Cook on highest temperature setting for 4 to 6 minutes – or until mussels are hot.

How do you cook frozen mussels in a bag?

Boil in bag. Time: 8 minutes. Remove outer packaging and place unopened pouch or pouches in a saucepan of boiling water. Return to the boil and simmer gently for 7 minutes (1 pouch ) or 8 minutes (2 pouches).

How do you cook frozen mussels without a shell?

They are the easiest to prepare.

If your frozen mussels are still in the shell, you can steam them in a pot filled with one inch of water, wine, or broth for five to seven minutes or until the mussel shells have opened. You can also saute them in oil or butter over high heat. Discard any mussels that haven’t opened.

What can I do with frozen mussel meat?

Run warm water over a container of frozen mussels if time is of the essence, however gently thawing them out in the refrigerator yields more tender results. Heat frozen mussel meat in a sauce pan once fully thawed, then eat them as is or add to other recipes, such as spaghetti sauce or soup.

How can you tell if frozen mussels are bad?

How to tell if frozen mussels are no longer good? If dry spots or discolorations have developed on the frozen mussels, freezer burn has begun to set in – this will not make the frozen mussels unsafe to eat, but it will harm the texture and taste.

How long do you boil mussels?

Crank up the heat and add the mussels.

Give the pan a quick stir, cover it, and boil the mussels for about 4–5 minutes. Some of them may begin to turn yellow or orange, and some will stay white. But they should all be cooked after 5 minutes.

How do you know when open mussels are cooked?

Tip 1: Never overcook mussels!

How do you know when they’re done? Easy – the shells open up. Once they open, they’re done.

Should you boil mussels?

You want the mussels to steam, not boil. Then bring the liquid to a rapid boil, add the mussels all at once, and put the lid on the pot. Let the mussels cook for 2 minutes more (5 minutes total) then remove the pot from the heat and discard any shells that have not opened.

What happens if you eat a deceased mussel?

You can eat mussels raw, steamed, boiled or fried as an appetizer or entrée. The meat of dead mussels deteriorates, increasing your risk of microorganism contamination, food poisoning, infectious disease and other health problems.

How do you cook mussels properly?

Method
  1. Clean and debeard the mussels.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy-based pan.
  3. Add the wine to the pan and boil for a minute to burn off the alcohol.
  4. Add the mussels to the pan.
  5. Sprinkle in the remaining parsley, then spoon the mussels into a serving bowl.

How long does it take to steam mussels?

Heat oil in a 6 to 8-quart stockpot. Saute the shallot, garlic and thyme to create a base flavor. Add the mussels and give them a good toss. Add wine, lemon juice, chicken broth and red pepper flakes; cover the pot and steam over medium-high for 5 minutes until the mussels open.

How does Gordon Ramsay cook mussels?

Are steamed mussels good for you?

Mussels are a clean and nutritious source of protein, as well as being a great source of omega 3 fatty acids, zinc and folate, and they exceed the recommended daily intake of selenium, iodine and iron. Mussels are sustainably farmed with no negative impact to the environment.

How do you clean mussels before cooking?