iWalk Cornwall

As the summer draws to a close, we re-enter mussel season. Although mussels are one of the most sustainable forms of seafood, you should avoid harvesting them between May and August as this is their breeding season. Make sure you collect more mature mussels of at least 50mm in length as smaller ones are less good to eat. It's worth studying the tides to get to the beach for a low Spring tide as this is when you'll find the biggest juiciest mussels. Avoid picking any mussels with a damaged shell - you want to be sure they are alive and fresh. Ideally take a bucket and bring your mussels home in clean seawater. Otherwise use a carrier bag and try to keep them cool. Once you have harvested your mussels, soak them for a few hours somewhere cool in clean saltwater to allow them to purge any sand (don't submerge them in freshwater as this will kill them). If you don't have seawater, you can use cooking salt in tap water at the ratio of 32 grammes per litre. Sort thro