what is the best way to clean mussels? Debearding is not very easy. and Soak in salt water or fresh water?

Don't !! Washing just removes the flavour. Debearding is easy. Drop them in hot water (salted). When they start to open they are done. Any that do NOT open do NOT eat !! Once cooked the beard will pull out very easy, just pull the beard toward the pointy end. If you want to debeard before cooking, same same, pull the beard toward the pointy end. A little harder when not cooked but still easy. There is no reason to debeard if you prefer not to. You can cook them with beard intact and remove when you open the shells. Muscles like shallow clean and clear water, so there should be no issue with sand etc. Another tip...Unless you are with very close friends, don't hold up a muscle and say "what does this look like"...haha You have some nice NZ green muscles there.

Oh...PS. As Mark says, great on the BBQ. You don't have to boil them...Great steamed, in curry, stir fry etc. Just Google muscle recipes. Any way you cook them, debearding can be done before or after cooking.

Thanks a lot for the tips. I will not clean them. So much easier than struggling to taking out the beard with two fingers.

No worries :) You see what I mean by the pointy end? They have a round end and a pointy end. Pull the beard towards the pointy end and the shells will act like scissors and cut the beard off. The beard is actually part of the muscle and quite edible. Not nice to eat, but can be eaten. It is like tentacles they use to attach to rocks and things. So the beard is really strong and tough. Much of the muscle is actually gonads. (sexual organs). Bit like sea urchins. No different to eating caviar (from the virgin sturgeon) :) When the muscle is touched it slams shut locking in all that flavour and making itself into a self contained pressure cooker....Cook it any way you like and all the flavour of the sea will be there... Mmmm.....I know a spot where I can get some muscles...but it's 700km's away :)

or you could just head to the next gym to get some muscles - haha

haha...Indead!! I tell ya that darn spell checker will be shown some mussels next time I see him !! :) haha