I've heard a lot of people tell me that you aren't supposed to wash mushrooms under water because they soak up all the water and it alters the taste. I've always been told that you're supposed to clean mushrooms by just brushing off the clinging dirt particles.
But I just can't get myself past the idea of eating an unwashed vegetable. Mushrooms grow in the soil and with farmers putting in fertilizer to promote their growth I can't help but think they just HAVE to be rinsed before eating. I don't care if it alters the taste a little bit I just need my vegetables clean before cooking them!
Apparently a book called
The Curious Cook: More Kitchen Science & Lore by Harold McGee
has an experiment which he did with washing mushrooms. He soaked 252 grams of mushrooms for about 5 minutes to see how much moisture they would absorb. Once he weighed them after removing them from the water he found that they had soaked up just a mere six grams of water.
I don't see why chefs would make such a big deal about rinsing mushrooms under water if it just makes that much of a difference. And that moisture increase was noted after SOAKING them for 5 minutes. When I say rinse it means pouring water onto the mushrooms for a minute so the dirt particles can be washed away.
Do you wash your mushrooms before eating or cooking them
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Comments (73)
Of course i wash them. :D
I always wash them.
not only do we wash but we soak them in water before cooking them. cleaner that way.
Yes I wash the mushrooms.
You're supposed to wipe them off with a damp paper towel.
Mushrooms get kind of slimey after you wash them.
wash ofx x.x
I wash. Mushrooms dehydrate a lot anyway once you cook em.
My mom always washed them... I'm not a big mushroom fan myself.
Definitely wash them! And wash them thoroughly, not just run water over them. How can you eat them by just "brushing off" the dirt? It's DIRT!
Uhh I definitely wash my mushrooms before eating. I agree with you that veggies always need to be washed, although mushrooms technically are a fungus ;)
N'AWWW AT THAT PICTURE. N'AWW AT IT. .endspazz
I eat button mushrooms the most, and I peel them, instead of washing them. I wash other types though.
Never wash, only brush them off
I always wash them. the picture is so cute!
@Imnotcrazyjustinsane@xanga - i've never experienced sliminess after washing mushrooms?? I always wash my mushrooms and they turn out clean and yummy... I don't think just a damp towel would cut it for me..
@aliceandrandy@xanga - thanks. i thought it was cute too =)
@pizo_Okie@xanga - i've never heard of peeling mushrooms? i gotta try that one sometime... hmmm
@black_lie@xanga - yeah i know its a fungus but its treated like a vegetable... and because it's been in the soil i gotta wash it =)
@krispylicious@xanga - yeah that's true they become like half their sizes practically...
@melyssalynn@xanga - i've never soaked before i should try that next time...
yup. i wash. I need to find a mix to wash my fruits as well. I think I've heard baking soda works well.
I used to painstakingly brush them with a wet paper towel but found that article on the net before as well, and now I rinse them in a strainer as far ahead as I want to use them as possible and lay them out on paper towels to dry. I still don't like wet mushrooms even if I rinse them, so doing it in the morning/afternoon if I'm going to use them for dinner is ideal, so they can dry out a bit. Wet mushrooms smell bad.
I wipe them with a paper towel, my parents are really into cooking so I was taught to just wipe them. I never knew others washed them until I moved into rez. I love mushrooms and have ate them all my life without being washed and I'm still kicking so I think it's fine hahaha
@x__BeautiifulxDiisaster__x@xanga - interesting but for me personally its too unsettling to eat something without first washing out all the dirt... i wouldn't be satisfied with mushrooms just being wiped. but good to know u alive n kicking =) i guess i wrote this post cuz i was curious to see who prefers it which way.
@wifeylifey@xanga - yeah i don't leave my mushrooms wet either.when i first buy them i put them in a small paper bag in the fridge. it keeps them fresh for longer. I usually wash them in a strainer right before cooking them.
@misstequila@xanga - interesting i didn't know that about baking soda.