Cleaning mushrooms

How to Clean Mushrooms

Max. D Gray
By Max. D Gray. Updated: January 16, 2017
How to Clean Mushrooms

White mushrooms are the most common type of edible fungus used in the culinary field. This is an ingredient that has the ability to complement virtually any type of dish, be it meat, fish or pasta. Mushrooms can be added to countless dishes and give them a touch of unique flavour. However, you need to clean them properly before using them because they tend to carry a lot of soil. If you do not know how to do it, don't miss this OneHowTo article and discover how to clean mushrooms.

You may also be interested in: How to Clean Chanterelles

Steps to follow:

1

In order to clean them correctly, you first need to chop the mushroom stems, as this is the area where the most dirt accumulates. Just take a sharp, medium sized knife and chop off the end of the stems, where all the soil can be found.

Note that sometimes on the supermarket you'll find mushrooms that have this area where the most soil accumulates already removed.

How to Clean Mushrooms - Step 1
2

When you have chopped all the stems, you can start to clean them. Mushrooms contain a lot of water, so it is not advisable to leave them to soak, as they'll absorb more water and when you cook them they'll expel too much liquid.

3

Instead of soaking them, take a clean cloth and moisten it with water. Wring the cloth out to remove any excess moisture then rub the mushrooms with it to get rid of any soil. You should rub them in quick, circular movements to effectively remove any soil. This tip using a cloth can only be done with fresh mushrooms.

How to Clean Mushrooms - Step 3
4

After cleaning your mushrooms with a cloth, you can get a toothbrush, moisten it with water and rub the mushroom to remove any traces of dirt for even better precision cleaning. This tip is best for using on mushrooms which didn't get completely clean after being rubbed with the cloth.

5

The disadvantage of this method is that you must clean the mushrooms one by one. Another way to wash them quickly and all at once is to place them in a colander, turn on the tap and pass them under running water for a few seconds. Just remember that you should not leave them to soak. Then, you can rub off any traces of dirt off with your hands. Whilst they are under the water, shake the colander vigorously so all the mushrooms are washed and they don't soak.

How to Clean Mushrooms - Step 5
6

Once you have really clean mushrooms, you can slice them as you wish and use them to cook in your favourite dishes. Washing mushrooms is not a complicated task but the slightly longer process of cleaning them one by one ensures that you clean them at their best. If you have time, it is the most effective since it allows you to get rid of all traces of soil.

7

If you like recipes with mushrooms don't miss the following articles:

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Write a comment
What did you think of this article?
2 comments
Gail
I do not eat the stalks. I throw them away. I also peel the top layer off the mushrooms. My .mother always did this saying it was cleaner. I like them a lot better done like this.
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James
I am no chef, but one basic thing inwas taught anout food prep is to NOT use water to clean mushrooms. My side of the family (english) use a brush and my partner's side (italian) use a knife in a perling type motion.
The mushrooms should remain dry. You can by purpose made brushes that dont damage the skin of the mushroom.
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How to Clean Mushrooms