Beards Explained

• Mussels rely heavily on their beards for survival. These beards are fine strands of filament known as byssus threads. The diameter of a human hair, the byssus threads are secreted from the mussel's byssus gland and coated with adhesivelike proteins that allow the mussels to attach and tightly anchor to rocks and other surfaces in their ocean lairs. The colder the water, the more byssus threads mussels produce, creating a thick, dense beard.

Traditional Cleaning

• Traditional cleaning methods entail removing the beards prior to cooking. Under cool running water, scrub the mussels' shells clean using your fingers or a stiff brush. After removing debris, grab the beards between your fingers and remove them with a firm tug. Cutting the beards from the shell with a knife or pair of scissors is sometimes preferred over tugging, since tugging tends to remove some of the meat with the beards.

Clean, Cook, Remove

• While removing the beards prior to cooking is a common practice, it is not always easy. Since removal is not necessary prior to cooking, some cooks forgo tradition for ease -- especially if the beard fibers are extra thick. Once cooked, the beards pull away more easily from the mussels. Even if they don't, a quick cut with the knife used to remove the cooked meat from the shell effortlessly separates any attached beard fibers from the mussel.

Premature Removal

• If you opt to remove the beards prior to cooking, avoid doing so too soon. Like all shellfish, mussels must remain alive until cooked because they spoil quickly. This spoilage leaves mussels susceptible to bacterial contamination. Consuming bacteria-laden mussels may lead to serious foodborne illness. Since mussels die instantaneously once their beards are removed, hold off on the removal until you are ready to begin the cooking process.