Cleaning and de-bearding mussels
Skill level
Easy
Equipment you will need for this technique
Colander
If your mussels are covered in mud or barnacles, rub handfuls of them together under running water before you start.
-Tap any mussels that are partly open and discard those that do not close tightly.
-Rinse or dip each mussel in cold water.
-Pull the straggly, hairy 'beards' from the mussels.
-(After cooking, discard any mussels that have not fully opened.)