Cooking them thoroughly
Discarding any that don’t open after cooking
In other words, how mussels are handled matters more than what month it is.
So… Can You Eat Mussels in Summer?
Yes — you absolutely can.
As long as your mussels:
Come from regulated, monitored sources
Are properly refrigerated
Are cooked safely
They can be enjoyed year-round.
That said, in earlier times — before refrigeration and toxin testing — avoiding “non-R” months was a simple and clever survival guideline.
Final Takeaway
The “R-month” rule is mostly a historical tradition rooted in seasonal taste and safety concerns from a pre-refrigeration era.
Today, thanks to modern food safety systems and regulated aquaculture, mussels can be eaten safely in any month — including summer — provided they are sourced and prepared correctly.
So if you’re craving mussels in July, you don’t need to wait for September. Just make sure they’re fresh, properly stored, and thoroughly cooked — and enjoy them with confidence.
