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Mussels pickled at home

Home-Pickled Mussels

An original, savory appetizer for the holiday table! Mussels pickled at home are far tastier and more natural than the store-bought kind, since they have no harmful additives or preservatives. The marinade in this recipe works for shrimp and squid too.

Julia

Recipe author

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Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Frozen mussels

300

Water

Vegetable oil

Soy sauce

White vinegar

Peppercorns

Cloves

Bay leaf

Lemon

0.33

Parsley (or dill)

Sugar

Salt

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 29 % 6 g

Fats 29 % 6 g

Carbohydrates 43 % 9 g

92 kcal

GI: 89 / 0 / 11

Cooking method

Step 1:

How do you pickle mussels at home? Gather your ingredients. Mussels are usually sold frozen and already shelled; I'd advise against thawing them completely before cooking, so they hold their shape better. Add or leave out spices and seasonings to taste or based on what you have.
Step 2:

Put the mussels in a sieve and rinse well with cold water. Then set the sieve over a bowl and let the water drain.
Step 3:

Squeeze the juice from the lemon.
Step 4:

Wash the parsley (or other herbs) well, dry it, and chop it finely.
Step 5:

Make the marinade. Pour the soy sauce, white vinegar, and 1 tbsp of the vegetable oil into a saucepan—you'll need the other tablespoon later.
Step 6:

Add the salt and sugar and stir.
Step 7:

Boil the water. Pour the boiling water into the saucepan, set it on the stove, and bring the marinade to a boil over medium heat.
Step 8:

Add the bay leaf, peppercorns, and cloves.
Step 9:

Add the mussels to the marinade, bring back to a boil, then lower the heat.
Step 10:

Simmer the mussels over low heat for about 1 minute, no longer. Mussels—like almost all seafood—can turn rubbery and bland if overcooked. Take the saucepan off the heat.
Step 11:

Stir the lemon juice into the finished marinade.
Step 12:

Add the chopped parsley and mix everything together.
Step 13:

Let the mussels sit in the marinade, covered, for 15 minutes.
Step 14:

Take a clean, dry jar and transfer the seafood into it along with the peppercorns and cloves. It's best to remove the bay leaf from the marinade so it doesn't add too much bitterness.
Step 15:

Pour the marinade over the mussels, top with the reserved 1 tbsp of vegetable oil, cover, and cool to room temperature. They're ready to eat, but to let them soak up the marinade and the aroma of the spices, it's best to chill them overnight. Store pickled mussels in the refrigerator no longer than three days. Serve them as a cold appetizer or use them in salads. Enjoy!

Mussels are high in protein and in macro- and micronutrients. Their low carbohydrate and fat content, easy digestibility, and low calorie count make them a diet-friendly seafood. Pickling lowers the protein and raises the carbs and fat a bit, but the upside is that they keep longer. And at home you can tailor the marinade's spices to your own taste. You can add garlic to the marinade: peel, wash, and finely chop it, and add it at step 12. I left it out, keeping the whole household's tastes in mind. Coriander seeds and allspice also suit it well. For a healthier result, use olive oil in place of regular vegetable oil. Mussels are ideal with a dry white wine or a light beer—those drinks most delicately bring out their gentle flavor.
Since everyone's tolerance for salt, sweetness, bitterness, heat, and acidity is different, always add spices and seasonings to your own taste. When trying a seasoning for the first time, remember that some are especially easy to overdo (chili pepper, for example).
When adding soy sauce, keep in mind it's quite salty—cut back on the total salt or you risk over-salting.
For cooking, it's best to use filtered or bottled water with a neutral taste. Tap water can give the dish an off, characteristic flavor.