Mussels 101 - PEI Mussels
mussels-101

MUSSELS 101

Mussel Farming - From Seed To Your Table

SEEDS
SEEDS

In the spring when the PEI water temperature reaches around 15 degrees, mussels spawn. At this time, mussel farmers puts out seed collectors; frayed pieces of rope or strips of plastic mesh attached to a long line.

These collectors serve as a settlement surface that when attached, the mussel larva forms a hard shell creating the actual mussel seed.

SOCKS
SOCKS

Once around 1″ long, the seeds are taken ashore, graded, and then placed within mesh sleeves/tubes called mussels socks.

Within hours from when the seed is collected, the mussel socks are taken back out to the shallow bays and inlets and hand tied onto thick lines attached to anchored or moored buoy rope; this is called the longline system.

GROW TIME
GROW TIME

The socked mussels are suspended in the nutrient rich, Prince Edward Island waters from these longlines system. Mussel farmers continually head out to monitor their growth, keep them protected, and add increased flotations to the socks to keep them suspended above the bottom. This happens 365 days a year, no matter if the waters are open in the summer or covered with ice in the winter.

HARVESTING
HARVESTING

After 18 to 24 months, PEI Mussels reach market size of 55-60 mm. At this point, harvest-ready long lines can contain upwards of 2 tonnes of mussels each! Even with their size and weight, the full socks are collected and transported to a nearby federally inspected and registered processing plant.

PROCESSING
PROCESSING

Once back to shore and in the processing plants, mussels are stripped from their socks, de-clumped, washed, graded, have their beards (aka the byssal threads used to attach themselves to the socks) removed, and placed into purification holding tanks which contain clean, temperature-controlled circulating seawater.

SHIPPED FRESH DAILY
SHIPPED FRESH DAILY

The mussels are finally inspected once more prior to being packed and shipped to markets all over North America. From the moment mussels are harvested, the process of getting them to market occurs usually in less than 72 hours, guaranteeing that you get the freshest product possible!

FAQS - ‘MUSSEL UP’ YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Prince Edward Island (PEI) is a small province in eastern Canada located in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, just off the Atlantic coast.

Despite being the smallest Canadian province, PEI is the biggest producer of mussels in North America with 11,000 acres of mussel leases growing over 50 million pounds of PEI mussels a year!

The male mussels are cream-coloured, and the females are coral. They both taste the same, however – delicious!

All PEI Mussels are filter-feeders and get their food from Prince Edward Island’s nutrient-rich aquatic environment. This means mussels are not dependent on the farmer for food, keeping them 100% natural.

We first recommend rinsing shells before discarding to help cut down on potential odours if sitting in a bin for a bit.

In most places, mussel shells are classified as organic waste, so put them in the green bins. The shells will break down slowly and return minerals to the soil over time.

Have a garden? Crushed shells can be used as a mulch or soil amendment, and some folks use the shells as a slug deterrent as the edges discourage pests.

Fresh PEI Mussels have a federally regulated tagging system that tracks mussels through the supply chain. These tags record the date when the mussels were harvested, the location of the harvest, and when they were shipped. You can literally track the history of each mussel from seed to your plate.

GOOD FOR YOU. GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.

  • PEI Mussel seed is collected from the wild, not hatcheries. It’s all natural, and nothing is ever added in the process.
  • PEI Mussels are farm-raised on ropes hung in the water, which ensures that there is no dredging or disturbance to the ocean floor. Since there is no dredging, the delicate life forms at the bottom are undisturbed.
  • PEI Mussels grow only in clean, approved, and classified waters for farming. These waters are tested regularly, and our mussel companies implement integrated coastal management planning and stewardship.
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