Shellfish are at their best in the fall and winter, and lucky divers and freedivers can enjoy what many believe to be the sea’s tastiest delicacy.
Shellfish are at their best in the fall and winter, and lucky divers and freedivers can enjoy what many believe to be the sea’s tastiest delicacy.
October 21, 2023
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The reason why mussels are best planted from October to March is because they spawn in the summer. Then the water is warm and full of nutrients, and the larvae have the best chance of survival.
This also means that the delicious gonads (orange crescents that taste especially delicious when fried in butter) will be empty by the end of summer, and their shells will be less chewy and sweet.
– Shells are found from a few meters deep to more than a hundred meters deep, preferably with strong currents, from Oslofjord to Vesterålen, the website writes Season calendar.no.
There you will find an idea of when the best seasons are for various types of fish, crustaceans, shellfish and algae.
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Clams have a flat upper shell and a curved lower shell. It is pale yellow-brown or reddish brown in color and has 15-17 ribs. The shell grows to a size of 20 cm.
They thrive on sand and gravel bottoms, usually from depths of 10 meters down. The largest deposits are found at a depth of 20–30 meters from Vestlandet to Nordland.
Remember the minimum size of shells
Elsewhere in the world, shellfish are harvested with trawls or scrapers, but in Norway they are collected by divers who deliver live shells to shops and restaurants.
In the summer months and after fall, shellfish may contain algae toxins, as the case may be several times in Øygarden west of Bergen.
If you really want to enjoy shellfish when they are at their best, then in late fall and winter you should collect them.
Remember the minimum size is 10 cm, and don’t pick all the shells you find. It’s important to stock up so that an area isn’t picked empty – and another area will catch up to you.
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