How To Clean Mushrooms

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Should mushrooms be washed with water right before cooking? No because they will absorb the water which then adds too much moisture to the dish you’re cooking, and depending on what you’re preparing–you may not appreciate the extra liquid.

Here are a few tips for cleaning them:

• Briefly rinse them in water then lay them out on a towel for a few hours so they have time to release the moisture. A quick tip is to use a colander and your sink’s spray hose.
• Never soak fresh mushrooms or leave them sitting in water.
• Rather than washing them in water, try cleaning them by using a mushroom brush with soft bristles (you can find these at kitchen gadget stores). You could try a vegetable scrubber too, but use lightly since the bristles are stiffer.
• Another method is to use a barely damp cloth or paper towel and rub the skin clean.
• My preferred method: cut the woody stem tip off then take your knife and use the blade to grab the edge of the skin (underneath the mushroom cap), then pull the skin back and off (it will peel off to the center top of the cap). Repeat around the edges until the top layer has been completely removed.

How To Store Them:

• Store in a closed paper bag rather than plastic, or in an open container. Helps them to breathe better and they won’t get wrinkly and dried up as fast. Keep refrigerated.

Preparing:

• Quickly slice them up by using an egg slicer (nice tip!).
• Trim stems to remove the woody parts (or remove stem altogether).