mm
average size
Can live in both fresh and salt water
types in Canada
years
average lifespan
History
Mussels are the rock stars of Canadian aquaculture. Canada only started faming mussels in the 1970s, but the shellfish has become the country’s top aquaculture product. Even though they’re farmed on both coasts, Prince Edward Island is the country’s top mussel producer. Island mussel farmers run a year-round operation. They’ve even developed techniques to access the shellfish in the winter, when they lie under a layer of ice. PEI mussels mean serious business. They can be harvested, processed and shipped across North America in just 3 days.
Best sustainable option
All mussels available on the market are farmed and considered sustainable.
In Season
janfebmaraprmayjunjulaugsepoctnovdec
Landed
25,466 tonnes
were produced and brought onshore in Canada in 2014.
Did you know?
Male and female mussels have different coloured meat. Male are cream coloured while the female are coral, but both are just as tasty.
Taste/Texture
Mild taste, soft and chewy texture
What to look for
Fresh mussels are sold live. As with other shellfish, check mussels’ freshness by tapping the shell. If fresh, the shell will shut easily. To get the best meat, choose blue mussels in the winter and early spring, and Mediterranean mussel in the spring, summer and fall.
Watch a video on Mussels
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How to cook
Meet Chef Spencer Watts
Chef Spencer Watts says cooking is the great love of his life. His father and grandfather were both cod fishermen, so a love of fishing and being on the water runs in his blood. Growing up on the lower mainland of British Columbia, Spencer was inspired by the vast array of fresh local ingredients available.
Spencer is a graduate of the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts. He quickly progressed through the ranks at The Westin Grand and C restaurant, while training with some of the best local talent in the culinary scene. In 2007 he opened his very own restaurant, ‘Spence on the Coast,’ in Sechelt. Later he started his own local cable cooking show called “Coast Cooking with Spence.”
Spencer is presently enjoying life in Vancouver while working on his cookbook and promoting sustainable seafood.
History
Mussels are the rock stars of Canadian aquaculture. Canada only started faming mussels in the 1970s, but the shellfish has become the country’s top aquaculture product. Even though they’re farmed on both coasts, Prince Edward Island is the country’s top mussel producer. Island mussel farmers run a year-round operation. They’ve even developed techniques to access the shellfish in the winter, when they lie under a layer of ice. PEI mussels mean serious business. They can be harvested, processed and shipped across North America in just 3 days.
Best sustainable option
All mussels available on the market are farmed and considered sustainable.
In Season
janfebmaraprmayjunjulaugsepoctnovdec
Landed
25,466 tonnes
were produced and brought onshore in Canada in 2014.
Did you know?
Male and female mussels have different coloured meat. Male are cream coloured while the female are coral, but both are just as tasty.
Taste/Texture
Mild taste, soft and chewy texture
What to look for
Fresh mussels are sold live. As with other shellfish, check mussels’ freshness by tapping the shell. If fresh, the shell will shut easily. To get the best meat, choose blue mussels in the winter and early spring, and Mediterranean mussel in the spring, summer and fall.