Spring is the season for eating freshwater mussels, though eating them comes with certain subtleties. With freshwater mussels, the entire experience hinges on freshness.
A good freshwater mussel is exceptionally clean. Mussels naturally have a fringe, and this fringe usually stays closed. As long as the shucking tool is clean, unused before, or reserved exclusively for this purpose, the inside remains remarkably pristine.
Because of their prolonged growth, mussels typically have some moss on the outside. With a prime mussel, even the outer moss carries the fragrance of earth, indicating it was raised in healthy water and soil.
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