Mushrooms are an extremely versatile ingredient, to be used in the preparation of the most diverse dishes. Their typical undergrowth aroma is able to pleasantly flavor sauces, soups and other side dishes, while their robust texture allows them to be successfully combined with meats and other hearty dishes. Since the fungi arise directly from the earth and must not be peeled, it is necessary to carefully clean them before use, to eliminate all traces of soil, mold and bacteria from their surface. There are several ways to quickly clean mushrooms before cooking them: just wash them under running water or rub them gently, without wasting too much time and without too much effort.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Wash the Mushrooms
Step 1. Prepare the mushrooms for the dish they are intended for
Start by cutting them in half, then cut them into quarters or remove the stems, putting them aside if their use is foreseen in the recipe you want to make. If you need to chop or slice them, you can do it later, after cleaning.
Cutting the mushrooms into smaller pieces increases their washable surface
Step 2. Place the mushrooms in a colander or colander
Take a colander or colander and put the mushrooms in it, spreading them out well to be able to rinse them thoroughly. A quick rinse under running water will be enough to clean the most common mushrooms, with a smooth surface, such as champignons, champignons and pleurotus (also known as elephant ears).
Step 3. Run the water over the mushrooms
Turn on the tap to medium pressure and run a stream of cold or room temperature water over the mushrooms. Wash them thoroughly. Shake the colander or colander occasionally, or stir the mushrooms with your hands, to make sure you wash them all.
- This method works for almost all varieties, apart from dried mushrooms.
- In some culinary circles this practice is frowned upon, because it would dilute the already delicate flavor of mushrooms, but recent research has shown that rinsing does not significantly affect the water content of the product.
Step 4. Eliminate any remaining dirt or mold
Drain all the water from the colander or colander, then arrange the mushrooms on a shelf lined with kitchen paper. Remove any bits of dirt or mold stuck to it.
Due to the high percentage of water they contain and the natural environment in which they grow, fungi tend to normally have some mold on the surface. But if they seem too moldy, too slimy in texture or excessively dried or wilted, they are probably no longer fresh and shouldn't be consumed
Step 5. Blot them with a sheet of kitchen paper
When they are clean, gently dab them with a folded sheet of kitchen paper to absorb any remaining moisture. To make them dry faster, avoid piling them, but arrange them in a single layer, well spaced from each other. Now they are ready to be sliced and cooked!
Be careful not to crush them and not to damage them while drying them
Method 2 of 3: Clean the Mushrooms by Rubbing them with Kitchen Paper
Step 1. Moisten the kitchen paper with hot water
Wet a few sheets of kitchen paper with a little hot water. Squeeze the paper, then fold or ball up a flap to create a protrusion that you can grab onto as you scrub the mushrooms.
Hot water helps dissolve encrusted sediments
Step 2. Scrub the cap and stem of the mushrooms to get rid of the dirt
With the moistened kitchen paper, rub the entire surface of the mushroom: the cap, the stem and the underside (gills or spores). Pay particular attention to places where the dirt is more concentrated or the color is faded. When the paper becomes dirty, replace it with clean one. Scrubbing mushrooms with kitchen paper is especially good if they are large and using a colander would be complicated.
- This method works best with large, smooth-surfaced mushrooms, such as porcini and field mushrooms. The rinsing method, on the other hand, is suitable for small and numerous mushrooms.
- Many experienced cooks prefer to scrub the mushroom rather than wash it, because they believe that this preserves its full flavor.
Step 3. Put the mushrooms to dry
After you've cleaned them, put them to dry on a cutting board or paper towel-lined countertop. Remove any remaining dirt or mold bits with a small knife.
Step 4. Clean the mushrooms that have a rough surface with a toothbrush
If they have a rough or uneven texture, to clean them use a special brush (usually special mushroom knives are equipped with them) or, alternatively, a toothbrush, able to infiltrate the cracks and remove the dirt inside them. Moisten the bristles of the toothbrush and clean the caps and stems with small, gentle movements.
- The special toothbrush for mushrooms has soft bristles and is specially made to remove fragments of earth and dirt from vegetables, without damaging them.
- If you decide to use a toothbrush, make sure it is new and has soft enough bristles that you don't risk damaging the tender surface of the mushrooms.
Method 3 of 3: Soak the Dried Mushrooms
Step 1. Soak the mushrooms
Remove the dried mushrooms from the bag and immerse them in a bowl filled with warm water, wine, broth or oil. As they will float, first completely immerse them in the liquid to wet the entire surface well. This method is suitable for small or medium-sized mushrooms, but the rougher ones, it is better to rub them with kitchen paper first, because the porous surface retains the sediments more.
- The different varieties of dried mushrooms, such as shiitake (also known as Chinese or Japanese mushrooms), porcini and morchelle, must be soaked and soaked before being cooked.
- Generally, these types of mushrooms have a very intense and decisive flavor and give the dishes a fragrant aftertaste of undergrowth.
Step 2. Leave the mushrooms to soak for a few tens of minutes
Let them soak in the liquid for 20-30 minutes. As they rehydrate, they swell and soften. Be careful not to forget them and not to soak them for too long.
If they remain immersed in the liquid for too long, they risk absorbing too much water and becoming mushy and tasteless
Step 3. Remove the mushrooms from the liquid and let them dry
Remove the mushrooms from the bowl with a scoop and place them between two layers of kitchen paper to dry. Do not try to squeeze them, as the water absorption process is gradual and continues even when they are out of the liquid. Cut off any parts that are still dirty or moldy.
Mushrooms need to be rehydrated just before cooking them. Never try to rehydrate dried mushrooms in order to store them for later use
Step 4. Filter the soaking liquid and store it
The liquid in which you soaked the mushrooms is basically a concentrate of flavor. If you wish, you can keep it and use it to further flavor the dish or in cooking the other ingredients in the recipe. To do this, you must first filter it to remove the residues from the mushroom wash. Cover a container with a sheet of kitchen paper, an American coffee filter or gauze and pour the soaking liquid into it. The sediments will remain blocked by the filter and can be disposed of.
- The reuse of the soaking liquid is particularly suitable if it is wine, oil or broth.
- It can also be frozen and stored for future recipes.
Advice
- Use the mushroom soaking liquid to give a rich "umami" flavor (the particularly savory taste typical of glutamate-based preparations) to dishes where mushrooms would be out of place, or to recipes intended for fussy diners or those who don't particularly like them.
- Store fresh mushrooms in a paper bag or wrapped in kitchen paper. This will keep them ventilated and prevent them from becoming moldy or drying out.
- Wash them immediately before cooking, never beforehand.
- The stem of mushrooms that are most frequently found on sale in the supermarket, such as champignons or pleurotus, can be eaten safely.
Warnings
- If they are heavily faded, they may be broken or partially rotten.
- If you want to go mushroom picking yourself, consult authoritative sources to help you distinguish edible from poisonous varieties.
- Remember to always wash them thoroughly, whether the recipe requires them to be eaten raw or not.
