How do you clean mussels?

Rinse and scrub them under cold water, pull the wiry beards off towards the hinge, and scrape away any barnacles. Discard any mussels that stay open when tapped.

Which mussels should you throw away?

Any that are open and do not close when tapped, or have cracked shells — these are dead and should not be eaten. Farmed mussels usually need less cleaning than wild ones.

How do you shuck an oyster safely?

Hold it in a folded cloth, rounded side down, push an oyster knife into the hinge and twist to break it, then slide the blade along to release the top shell — keeping the liquor inside.

How do you open a scallop?

Slide a knife between the shells near the hinge, follow the inside of the top shell to release it, then remove the frill and the black gut sac, keep the white meat and orange coral, and rinse off any grit.

Can you eat oysters raw?

Yes — many are eaten raw and alive with a little lemon. Only ever eat oysters that are tightly shut and very fresh; discard any that are open.

Preparing Mussels, Oysters & Scallops

Preparing Mussels, Oysters and Scallops

A guide on how to clean mussels, how to check mussels are OK to eat and how to shuck (open) oysters and scallops

Molluscs in Cornwall

We are very lucky in the UK and

especially in Cornwall as we have some amazing native mussels, oysters and scallops. Therefore it is important to know how to enjoy these wonderful molluscs and this page should give you the knowledge needed to know how to clean mussels, shuck oysters and open scallops. Enjoy!

Oysters

In order to open an oyster it is easier to

use an oyster knife designed for the purpose - see below.

The process of opening the oyster is known as shucking.

Only eat oysters that are tightly shut - discard any that are open as this means that the oyster is dead.

Using a cloth to protect your hands, hold the oyster with the rounded side on the underneath and the flatter side on the top. This is also how they should be stored.

Using the knife push the end of the blade into the hinge area between the top and the bottom shell of the oyster and twist the knife to break the hinge.

Slide the knife along horizontally to release the top shell and remove taking care not to spill the liquid inside the oyster.

Slide the knife under the oyster to release it from the bottom shell.

Many people eat the oysters at this stage while they are still raw and alive. Simply add a little lemon juice and enjoy - then wait and see if their alleged aphrodisiac qualities are founded!

As with oysters, opening a scallop is called shucking.

The method is very similar as you need to slide the knife in between the top and bottom shells of the scallop near the hinge.

Follow the inside of the shell with the knife to release the scallop from that side of the shell enabling you to remove the top.

Inside the scallop will have a covering called a frill and will also have a black sack which is the gut. Either use the knife to cut this away or pull it away with your fingers.

This should leave the white meat and the orange coral. Some people like the coral and some people just prefer to eat the white meat so it is entirely up to you whether you keep this piece of the scallop.

Rinse the scallop to get rid of any grit and then it will be ready for you to cook.

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Preparing Molluscs

Seafood notes

The full guide

Preparing Mussels, Oysters and Scallops

Molluscs in Cornwall

Browse the matching collections

Mussels

Oysters

Scallops

Common questions

Seafood notes

The full guide

Preparing Mussels, Oysters and Scallops

Molluscs in Cornwall

Browse the matching collections

Mussels

Oysters

Scallops

Common questions

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