I used to live in a coastal town and never worried about getting fresh mussels, but now I live in inland Ecuador and today bought a bag of frozen clams and a bag of frozen mussels. They all seem to be slightly open, but just a crack, around 1-2mm. Is that normal for frozen mussels/clams?
The bags don't smell bad, but now I'm worried as they are just in a plastic packet with no name and no description.
How will I know if they are good to go? The shop is about two hours away so I can't go back and check. I do not know if they have been partially pre-cooked or if they have just been frozen raw.
Best Answer
You are right to be concerned. The main reasons for frozen bivalves to be slightly open:
If you check them, and it turns out that they are not precooked, then you are taking a substantial risk by eating them. I wouldn't do it.
Sorry that I have no references for the above; I've searched the relevant literature, and the only thing I can find is some Reddit questions verifying that it's normal for bivalves to open on thawing.