I am so MAD.

[Catseye]

I've had a yen for mussels recently. Saturday I bought a pound at the supermarket; they were $1.99 a pound. Saturday was the 5th, the package was marked with a sell-by date of the 7th. I went straight home from the supermarket, and got them in the refrigerator immediately. Today, the 8th, at about 3 o'clock I got them out to wash and debeard and cook. And three-quarters of them were open! (And one of the more open ones was empty, but for a little nub of something.)

I'm mad! They're in the freezer. I'm taking them back for a refund. I'm sick of this. Consumers are increasingly having to put up with products that are sub-par, and shrug and toss it and figure better luck next time.

I just want to make sure I didn't do anything wrong. I've only prepared mussels once before in my life, and it was too long ago to remember the experience. Can it be that the 8th was already too late to prepare them? Or something?

What do you think?


Cats

[kitchenelf]

Here's my thoughts - 3 days is a long time to keep mussels in the fridge - I would never buy mussels more than 1 day ahead of using them. If they have a sell by date of the 7th that means anything left after the 7th gets ditched - making today too late. I think what happened is what I would expect to happen after 3 days.

JMHO though.

[marmalady]

I'm with KE here, Catseye - any fresh shellfish should be eaten within a day of purchase. Remember, in the store they're probably keeping them on ice in a coolor colder than your fridge. Sorry - I know how disappointing it is when something goes bad like that

[jennyema]

Hvae to agree with Elf and Marm... it's always a dicey proposition to buy seafood of any kind more than a day before you eat it. I always buy mine the day I am going to cook it.

3 days in the fridge is way too long, IMO.

[buckytom]

yep, fresh live shellfish are difficult to keep for several days. they live in and out of water, so they should be kept moist in seaweed or wet newspaper if you want them to last in the fridge for more than 1 day. they need air as well, so they can't be sealed in plastic for too long either.

btw, the little nub was the mussel's muscle, lol. the belly must have fallen or been pulled out.

[Catseye]

I'm convinced! I did not realize how fragile these critters are.

Thanks very much for your input. You have saved the grocer's from the force of my wrath, LOL.

I still have a yen for mussels, though.


Cats

[buckytom]

mmmm, had them in a spicy garlic-y marinara with pizza last night. they were delicious, then i put the leftover mussel flavored sauce on the pizza, yummm.
my other fav way is in a white broth, made with white wine, butter, clam broth, thyme, and garlic.
how were you planning to make them catseye?

[Catseye]

Originally Posted by buckytom

mmmm, had them in a spicy garlic-y marinara with pizza last night. they were delicious, then i put the leftover mussel flavored sauce on the pizza, yummm.

Go ahead, hurt me.

I'd intended to follow the recipe for Moules Mariniere from my new Christmas present to myself, the cookbook Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home: Put them in a pan with some onion and leek, butter and fresh parsley and white wine.

But that was before I cruelly murdered them by anaerobic plastic-bag strangulation.


Cats, Renowned Mussel Killer

[buckytom]

fortunately the statute of limitations for mussel murder is only 3 days, so i think you won't do time.

hmmm, speaking of doing time, where's bang been? hope he's ok....

[mudbug]

lol, Cats and bucky. Speaking of where's Bang, where's Lifter? He seems to have gone "off the chart" lately too.