Catchable mussel bait - a catch is guaranteed! How mussels are harvested at a sea farm in Vladivostok General characteristics of mussels
In which 12 restaurants in Vladivostok and Nakhodka participate. As part of the festival, there is a special offer: 500 grams of mussels are sold for 300 rubles. Serving is at the discretion of the participants, the main condition is to cook only local mussels. “The Village Vladivostok” went to a marine farm in Voevoda Bay to find out how shellfish are grown for the festival.
The road to the sea farm from the center of Vladivostok by car takes about an hour. Most of the path runs along a dirt road, winding along the curves of the coast. Finally, the road ends at the coast, where the scientific and production complex for the reproduction of marine biological resources and the processing of sea mud, Dalstam-Marin LLC, is moored. The sea farm has existed here since 2011. At first, only sea cucumbers and scallops were grown on the farm, but three years ago they decided to experiment with mussels. In 2017, the mussel harvest at the farm was about 12 tons, but they plan to gradually increase production to 30–40 tons.
How mussels are bred
The Irish were the first to cultivate mussels back in the 18th century. The technology has changed little since then. In Voevoda Bay, mussels grow in a “sea garden” not far from the shore. You can get there by boat or pontoon - a wooden platform with an engine. The “sea garden” is marked with ridges (thick ropes). The mainlines are kept afloat by the buoys to which they are tied. A long rope with loops is attached to each spine, which is lowered into the water.
During spawning, mussels release eggs and sperm into the water, where fertilization occurs. One individual is capable of producing from 100 thousand to 3 million mature eggs per season. 4–5 hours after fertilization, the embryo develops into a larva, which moves through the water with the help of cilia. The larval period averages 30 days - during this time the larva goes through several stages of development, gradually changing.
In order to grow further, the larvae settle on substrates and attach to them with byssal threads. Under natural conditions, juveniles can be found on rocks; they form thick fouling on the bottoms of ships, quay walls, and ropes. The Pacific mussel does not grow on sandy bottoms. After spawning, a lot of larvae are formed and they look for a surface to sit on, and if they don’t find it, they die.
Mussels grow on a string for about two years. All this time they feed on bacteria, phytoplankton and small zooplankton from filtered water, gaining mass. Dirt does not linger in the mussel’s body - the mollusk gets rid of it with the help of its excretory organs.
The collection of mussels lasts from April to November, excluding the period of the most intense spawning in June-July. It takes place on a pontoon that moves around the “sea garden”, lifting ropes with shellfish attached. The end of the rope is tucked into a special machine installed on the pontoon. The string of mussels is passed through the machine and the shellfish are separated from the string. Next, they are washed and separated from each other by a stream of water, and the mussels end up on a conveyor. The next stage is sorting. Mussels are divided by size. A little later, mollusks less than 4 cm, placed in a special “stocking”, will be sent back to the sea so that they are again attached to the rope and grow. 4–6 cm is the standard commercial size, and more than 6 cm are large mussels.
Standard and large mussels are placed in pools of clean sea water. There, the shellfish empty their intestines, so you don’t have to clean them and eat the entire contents of the shell. After aging in the pool, the mussels are delivered to restaurants and sent to the workshop for processing. You can also buy them directly from the farm at a price of 130 rubles per kilogram.
When should you eat mussels?
In May-June, mussels begin to spawn, and sexual products mature in their gonads, significantly increasing the mass of the mollusk. During the period before spawning, the mussel is the most delicious and healthy, it contains the most meat. That is why they decided to hold the Mussel Festival in May.
How to cook mussels
First of all, you need to inspect the sinks. Only closed, undamaged mussels are prepared. An open mussel that does not close when pricked into a muscle is not suitable for consumption. Everything in the mussel is eaten except the byssus, the thread that attaches the mollusk to the surface. The shells are placed in a thick-bottomed pan with a small amount of boiling water poured into it. Steamed mussels cook quite quickly. When the shells open, everything is ready.
You can serve the mussels as is, or keep them in a frying pan with the sauce right in the sink. Tomato, cream, butter and wine sauces go well with mussels.
Mussels are also used to make soup, prepare pilaf, stew in gravy, add to salads with herbs and vegetables, smoke and salt. You should not reheat cooked mussels, as this can lead to food poisoning.
The gastronomic mussel festival is part of the annual calendar of Far Eastern cuisine events. The festival is organized by the non-profit organization "Pacific Tourist Union".
Bonus
Recipe for sautéed mussels with baguette from chef Ilya Stepanov (“Innocent Joys”)
Ingredients for 4 servings:
For mussels:
Mussels - 1 kg
Fresh sage - 1 branch
Fresh thyme - 1 branch
Garlic - 2 cloves
Butter - 1 tbsp. l.
Chicken broth (you can use vegetable broth or water with salt and pepper) - 1 cup
Extra virgin olive oil - 2 tbsp. l.
Dry white wine 1/2 cup
For the baguette:
Bread (baguette or any white fluffy bread
with a soft center) - 200 grams
Olive oil - 4 tbsp. l.
Dried herb mixture (any kind will do)
to your taste, Ilya recommends basil
with thyme and chamomile) - a good pinch
Garlic - 1 clove
COOKING METHOD:
Fry fresh herbs and garlic in olive oil for 1-2 minutes, add mussels. When they heat up and start to squawk, add dry white wine and let the excess alcohol evaporate.
Add chicken broth, cook for 1 minute. As soon as the mussels open, add the butter and mix gently.
Finely chop the garlic and mix with herbs and olive oil.
Tear the bread into large pieces with your hands and fry in a dry, heated frying pan (over medium heat) until golden brown. Remove from heat and stir in the same pan along with the pre-prepared mixture of herbs and olive oil.
Svoy fete
Cover- Port Cafe, photos of dishes provided by the establishments
Mussels are an excellent bait not only for most marine fish, but also for freshwater ones. A small, slimy mollusk that does not want to sit securely on the hook can stop the most sluggish bite overnight.
You can get this mollusk yourself, enjoying the pleasure of collecting it, or you can purchase it in specialized stores. Where it lives, how to properly assemble it, prepare it for the fishing process, how to securely attach it to a fishing hook - read this article.
1. What kind of fish is caught on mussels?
1.1 What kind of fish can be caught using mussels in the Mediterranean Sea?
Mussels are not averse to tasting all sea life: thanks to the strong and pleasant smell, this bait attracts from afar. In you can meet the following lovers of this type of shellfish: sea crucian carp, , , and even.
1.2 What freshwater fish can be caught on mussels
Mussels are one of the universal baits for both marine and freshwater inhabitants. Among the water fish, this type of bait is excellently pecked by representatives of peaceful species and predators: pike, perch, chub, rudd, roach, tench, bream and other inhabitants that love strong odors.
If you have visited a body of water with no current or plan to catch freshwater inhabitants in the depths of the sea, then the best tackle will be a feeder or fly rod. You can use ground shell meat (minced meat) as bait for fish. with a fishing line (preferably with at least 2 kg) must be of sufficient power, as well as the fishing gear itself, since fish of impressive size can bite on mussels.
For example, on No. 6-8 you can attach only one unit of this bait (an excellent bait for roach, bream, tench); to catch chub it is better to place a hook No. 10. For carp representatives, as well as trophy chub, you can safely put several mussels on the hook.
2. Season and time of mussel fishing in the Mediterranean Sea
In the summer months, finding mussels will not be particularly difficult: they can be located close to the shore, clinging to rocks, the bases of piers and other water structures. It can also be found in silt. In April-May, there is a high probability of meeting only small individuals. And from July to October they reach their largest sizes.
3. Methods for catching mussels in the sea for fishing bait
In order to get mussels in small quantities, it is enough to dive with a mask close to the expected place of their accumulation. But the deeper you dive, the larger the specimens you will encounter. Therefore, many people practice collecting mussels with diving equipment. To do this, you need to sail a boat away from the shore and find some rock or reef that can cling to mollusks in large quantities. Don't forget to take a bag with you to store them after mining!
Collection of mussels by a scuba diver
Mussels are attached with a special stalk to the place where they grow. You can tear them off either with your hands or with a knife. It is recommended to wear gloves to avoid cutting yourself.
During low tide on a sandy beach, mussels may burrow into the sand. They are often buried to a considerable depth. Small holes in the sand will help you find their location. In order to pull out a mussel, you can simply start digging or use a special device for “pumping out” sand; it looks like a thick pump.
During the surf, mussels can crawl out of the sand on their own, you just have to carefully watch the shore.
If in the fishing place you have chosen, mussels live on the bottom near the shore, then you can get a rake, with which you can easily remove shells from the water.
In France, special so-called “pillar” mussels are bred: still small mollusks, when they are just beginning to settle in different places, are caught using ropes to which they have begun to attach. Next, these ropes are entangled around the posts and secured with a net (to preserve the mussels). Once the mussels have grown, they can be collected at low tide, but at high tide they are completely hidden under water.
Watch a short video about the Mediterranean mussel
4. Where to find mussels in freshwater
The presence of a large amount of alkali in a freshwater body of water (for example, a lake) is an excellent environment for mussels to live. Here you need to look in shallow areas in the muddy bottom next to algae and other vegetation. If you decide to get mussels without going into the lake, then the best tool for getting them will be a net or a rake, which pulls the bottom vegetation along with the mussels to the shore.
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5. Preparing mussels as bait for fishing
After catching mussels, the question arises: how exactly to use them for fishing? First you need to get the mollusk itself out of the shell, since you only need meat for bait. If the sink is slightly open, you can open it all the way with your hands. If you can’t do this yourself, you should use a knife, insert it into the shell flap and use it to open the shell.
Watch the video on cutting mussels
After which you have to disconnect the mollusk from its “habitat”: also use a knife to disconnect the muscle that attaches it to the shell. The body of the mollusk itself is placed on the hook, passing it through the entire body and securing it to one of the muscles, which you can identify by touch - the hardest part. It is recommended to give the bait an appetizing look, that is, remove dangling parts, if any. You can use them as bait: throwing them into the water where you plan to fish.
Some fishermen open the mussels a couple of hours before fishing and air dry them (just don't leave them in the sun), after which the clam hardens a little and fits more tightly onto the hook. Also, in order to achieve strength when hooked, many fishermen salt, boil, or bake mussels, but after such processing they are inferior in their attractiveness as bait to their fresh counterparts.
How to properly boil mussels for fishing? You can throw shellfish into boiling water either with or without “clothes.” Cooking time 15 – 20 minutes. Landmark - the shell of the mollusk should open. If the bait is of impressive size, then before placing it on the hook, divide the meat into several pieces.
6. Methods for hooking mussels
() can be immediately passed through the muscle of the clam, and everything else (that is poorly attached) can be wrapped around the hook. But this method is considered the most unreliable, especially if you do not use other means of securing the bait on the hook. In order to prevent the mussel from falling off the hook, you can use a special mesh that will secure it to the hook. The strongest part of a mussel (which is most suitable for hooking) is its leg, an example of which can be seen in the photo.
In order for mussels to remain attractive to fish for a long time during fishing, you need to place them in an open container or cut-off bottle with sea water. Place them in the shade and enjoy fishing with this bait throughout your fishing trip!
7. How to preserve mussels for fishing
If you need to preserve a certain amount of mussels for a long time, then a refrigerator or freezer will help with this. Live mussels can last 2-3 days in the refrigerator. If the mussels are in shells, then they should be pressed down with something that is not heavy, but sufficient to prevent them from opening. It is recommended to sprinkle the mussels with ice, so they will retain the flavor longer. The main thing is not to store them in water! Frozen mussels are stored in the freezer, but they very quickly lose both taste and smell. But the lower the freezer temperature, the longer their shelf life: at a temperature of -12 degrees, the properties of shellfish are preserved for two weeks, and at a temperature of -18 degrees or more, their freshness lasts up to two months.
8. Useful links
- an informative article about mussels and pearl barley as bait on the pages of one of the popular fishing magazines Fishing in Rus'.
Mussels are mollusks that have inhabited the Black Sea since ancient times. A dozen or two years ago, the supports of berths and ports and coastal ridges were literally swarming with them. Moreover, they could be obtained simply in bunches - no less than grapes. But suddenly the marine population began to decline. And the reason for this was the uninvited newcomers of our waters - rapana, for which mussels are a real delicacy. Having turned, like a corkscrew, with its sharp tongue into the shell of the mussel, the rapan overtakes its victim and injects poison into it, and then enthusiastically inhales the most delicate tasty dish. Recently we have seen a proliferation of rapanov, apparently and invisibly.
Accordingly, the number of mussels has also decreased, the shells of which are also collected by holidaymakers as souvenirs in memory of the All-Russian health resort. At the same time, mussels are also a tasty dish for people, depending on how you prepare it.
There are dozens of recipes for mussel dishes and snacks. They can be served in the form of a variety of salads, with different sauces, stewed with potatoes or in a roll, with the addition of rice and other cereals, and even cooked in pilaf.
In Anapa, they are trying to compensate for the damage caused to the mussel population by rapan - they are grown artificially, and without much expense or effort. There are mussel “farms” on Bolshoi and Maly Utrish, near the shores of Novorossiysk, Gelendzhik, Sochi and other Russian cities near the Black Sea.
Naturally, mussels have no enemies on farms. Rapanov who suddenly find themselves there are mercilessly confiscated and given away as souvenirs. Harvest after harvest is collected.
Mussels are readily purchased by both restaurants and residents of Anapa, who respect this delicious-tasting delicacy. However, we have not run out of individual producers of this sea mollusk.
Early in the morning, when the holidaymakers who arrived to us are still sleeping, they, dressed in wetsuits, dive to the seabed near the piers and walls of the port, coastal ridges. One hour later, and their nets are full of mussels. Now go home to your family to cook a delicious mussel lunch or dinner. Luxurious and free!
At the height of the holiday season in Anapa, you will find kiosks and souvenir shops everywhere. There are plenty of them on the Central Embankment, on the Central Market and its approaches. There are also warehouses that sell them wholesale. Various souvenirs - beads, necklaces, bracelets. Including those made from shells, which are always in high demand. Small paintings depicting the seabed are also sold.
In the underwater kingdom you will find crabs, towers of small shells polished to a shine, and a butterfly with blue-black wings that is about to flutter. The artist-inventor sculpted the butterfly from the valves of the sea mollusk mussel, adding to it the missing details in the form of antennae, sparkles and other little things. You can also spot black swans on the ruins, also made from mussels.
Mussels contain the entire set of vitamins necessary for humans, and especially a lot of tocopherol - vitamin E, which has antioxidant properties. In addition, mussels contain more than thirty microelements, and their protein is rich in essential amino acids. The nutritional value of mussel protein is even higher than that of beef. To preserve beneficial substances, but at the same time protect yourself from toxic substances that shellfish meat may contain, you need to know the correct recipes for preparing mussels.
We evaluate the original product
All mussel recipes suggest that mussels should not be eaten raw. These mollusks feed by passing tens of liters of water through themselves. During the day, one individual 5-6 cm long passes through itself 70-80 liters of water, the organic matter from which goes to its food. If the water is polluted, toxic substances accumulate in the shellfish: pesticides, oil, heavy metals. Many of these compounds enter into a chemical bond with protein and are practically not excreted. Therefore, no recipe for cooking mussels will make a shellfish grown in contaminated water safe.
Cooking mussels collected by yourself: safety rules
If you collect mussels yourself, then before you come up with recipes for cooking mussels, you should make sure that the water in the area where they grow is clean. There are no sewage discharges, industrial zones or construction sites, or active shipping nearby. You cannot collect mussels along pier slabs, from underwater construction debris, and generally less than 50m from the coastline. Such shellfish can cause poisoning, no matter what recipes for preparing mussels are used.
The safest places for collecting shellfish for processing according to safe recipes for preparing mussels are underwater rocks, sand spits, mussel banks ─ colonies of free-growing shellfish on pebbles.
Cooking mussels bought in a supermarket: safety rules
Mussels that go on sale in supermarkets first undergo toxicological control, and if the recipe for preparing mussels is correctly chosen, they are safe.
However, in this case there is another danger. Mussels are a perishable product. Freshly caught shellfish without subsequent freezing are not suitable for food after a couple of scratches, and no special recipes for preparing mussels will save you from poisoning. In dietary shellfish meat, pathogenic bacteria multiply rapidly, which can cause serious food poisoning.
Therefore, when purchasing mussels in a supermarket, no matter what recipes for preparing mussels are used, you need to make sure that the shellfish are not stuck together, there are no leaks of liquid in the container, and the meat is not covered with a crust of ice - these are signs that the mussels have already been defrosted and their consumption is dangerous for health when using any mussel recipes.
Cooking mussels: removing the clam from the shell
Under cold running water, the mussel shells must be cleaned with a knife from algae, sand and silt, and the bundle of threads that attached the mussels to the support must be removed. Then discard all shells with open or cracked shells (they are not suitable for consumption, no matter what mussel recipes are used). If the shell is slightly open and the leg of the mollusk is visible from it, you need to knock on it. If the flaps begin to close, it means the mussel is still alive and suitable for consumption.
Mussels should be cooked on the day of catching or purchasing and eaten at one time.
In order for the shells to open, they must be cooked. But you shouldn’t resort to the common tourist method of heating mussels on a metal surface over a fire. In this case, toxic substances will remain in the meat, and it will be harmful in any recipe for preparing mussels.
It is better to boil the mussels in a large amount of water for about two minutes, then add cold water and bring to a boil again.
This recipe for preparing mussels allows you to preserve the maximum amount of vitamins while removing some of the toxic substances.
You then need to carefully remove the meat from the opened shells with a knife. Now it is ready to cook with any mussel recipes.
Recipes for mussels: what to do with the meat?
You can prepare many dishes from mussels: pilaf, spaghetti with mussels, pates and salads. Or simply bake mussel meat, sprinkle it with lemon juice - this “kebab” will be an excellent appetizer with white wine.
The main thing is to choose and prepare the mussels correctly, then any recipe for cooking mussels will be tasty and safe.
