I was surprised to discover an abundance of freshwater mussels in a group of small ponds on a nature reserve nr Exeter.
Not that I would nor want to but I wonder if they are edible. They certainly look very meaty.
Would seem to be, I googled it and plenty of info;
https://blog.raymears.com/2010/07/13/freshwater-mussel-find/http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=720http://www.weekendnotes.com/how-to-purge-freshwater-mussels/There is a pearl bearing fresh water mussel, this is the endangered species, I seem to remember reading a novel in the dim and distant past about a large fresh water mussel pearl being the cause of some skulduggery. I also recall, thanks to the memory jog of one of the above threads; a canal being drained and the fresh water mussel shells being abundant where the old barges overnighted. So looked as if they harvested them where they could and then cooked them.
I grew up near a stretch of canal, when I could first walk the location was within reach, together with other kids we would visit the few bargees still on the canal. I do not think they were carrying cargoes more using their barges as caravans and travelling to seasonal work. I have thought more about it recently,
Posting here;
http://www.walkingforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=30054.msg479362#msg479362the map shows a length of tunnel, which I believe had significant effect on the early access network, signs that the bargees overnighted at the north end of the tunnel where I saw the bed of the canal strewn with shells, must have been mirrored at the south end. Now my memory has been jogged, I recall there were places where we used to see a carpet of shells when the water was crystal clear and their iridescence would reflect from the bed of the cut.
The relevance is only just making me realise that this length of tunnel had no towpath, so the barges had to be legged through, is this another reason why the ferry seems to link with both end of the tunnel, because the length of stopover was longer.
Thoughts and memories stirred all from posting a photo.