Mushrooms

[JanetB]

OK - here is a question for you all.

Growing up - whenever we ate mushrooms - my Mom would simply peel and then wash them. You learn how to do things from your Mom - so I continue with this - although I have moved from the regular run of the mill mushrooms to portabellas and baby bellas.

A few months ago - my fiance was amazed that I did this. He asked me why I didn't just scrub them. I pointed out that they were filthy. He responded by buying me an Oxo - "mushroom brush". Now - I never look down on a gift. So, I attempted it - a few times. Well - they might get clean - but the walls even get covered in dirty water.

So, how should mushrooms be prepared/Cleaned? Just curious.

Thanks.

[laughsandlaughs]

Hi Janet,

I'm curious about this peeling? I'm not sure what you mean or how you peel a mushroom. I'm with your husband, I usually just brush them off, or if they're particularly dirty, I'll rinse them in cold water, but they will absorb more water that way. With Portobellos, etc, I will scrape out the gills, first because they discolor some dishes, also because dirt likes to get trapped here, but it's certainly just a preference to do this scraping. If you want to remove them, just take a tablespoon and scrape them out. It's easy!

http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif
e.

[charlie]

Sorry, but I have to agree with Elizabeth! I actually never use to wash mushrooms...fear of too much water in the skillet, I guess. But CL has done some articles on the little fungi and while they do absorb moisture, rinsing under the tap is an insignificant amount. I always went through at least half a roll of damp paper towels, wiping them clean. But I have never, ever heared of peeling a mushroom...

[funnybone]

I have always rinsed them by quickly immersing them in water and taking them out. Then I wipe them with a paper towel. I have heard that you only have to wipe them, but I still have the need to wash them.

Mushrooms are generally grown in greenhouses so they don't really get exposed to the elements as some other produce might. Since they are in a controlled environment, it is probably safe to just wipe them. I've heard Sara Moulton say this as well.

Janet, I know what you mean by peeling them. My friend does this to make them whiter (for regular mushrooms only). I can't be bothered.

[Julia1Pin]

I just get the pre-cut ones at TJ's (they're cheaper than whole ones anyways). With those, I neither wash or wipe (I figure it's done for me).

http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

[charlie]

Just a little info about how mushrooms are commercially grown (and personally, I don't consider manure or compost an element-free or uncontaminated environment; therefore I wash!):

Mushrooms

When we think of mushrooms, we often think of the soft caps & stems that we see in the grocery store. Hidden underground, however, is the vast majority of the mushroom mass itself- the network of feathery mycelia. These mycelia, often seen when turning over compost, are what the mushroom uses to absorb food & moisture. The cap & stem that we commonly eat is just the fruiting body.

To grow, mycelia require an uncontaminated food source, free from other microorganisms, moisture, and temperatures between 60-80F. The food source can vary, depending on the species of mushroom, from sawdust & shavings to manure or compost. Once mycelia have colonized a food source, they begin to produce fruiting bodies, commonly referred to as pins. As the pins mature, they develop into recognizable mushrooms.

Did some more searching and found this great link:
http://www.mushroomcouncil.com/preparation/prep.html

Ok, so I've been reading even more about the growing of mushrooms and while it may be pasturized...I still wash!:
http://www.mushroomcouncil.com/grow/grow.html#porta

[This message has been edited by charlie (edited 06-20-2001).]

[Norma]

I always think of all the hands that might have touched them from the time they were picked until they get to the grocer's bin. I'm a washer...actually I knock off little specks that I see with a short paring knife under running water and put them on paper towels.

[beejayw1]

Someone else who peels mushrooms!

You catch the 'skin' at the edge of the cap with the side of your finger and it rolls right off. I only do this with really dirty mushrooms, and I do it under running water. Considering the fact that most mushroom growers find that horse manure is the best growing medium (though I haven't reviewed the link posted on this thread), I wash them anyhow. They don't absorb much water at all, and since I either saute them or else slice/chop and use in baked dishes, it doesn't make much difference.

I came up with a crab-stuffed mushroom cap recipe that doesn't use much butter at all (like about a tablespoon) and is poached in a little white wine. Not bad.

Diana

[Melman]

Alton Brown did a mushroom show a while back. He covered the topic of whether it was better to wash or brush mushrooms to clean them. He weighed 2 pounds of mushrooms and then started washing them. After washing them, he weighed them a second time. They were 2 ounces heavier after cleaning....roughly 1.5 grams of water per mushroom. He said that since they're essentially little sponges already, it would take a major soaking for them to be water-logged.

One "comment" also appeared during that episode: If your mushrooms aren't visibly dirty, there's no need to wash them.
If they do need a bath, use cold water.

If you're interested in reading the whole transcript: http://goodeatsfanpage.com/Season2/MushroomTranscript.htm

[lorilei]

http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif Don't you think this whole mushroom issue (To wash or not to wash) is a bit out of control?

I don't wash my mushrooms... in fact I seldom do much to them at all unless they're actually dirt-laden.

It's fairly proven that washing mushrooms is alright -- in fact, NOT washing them is a weird United States phenomenon. The obsession is also a weird U.S. thing. Many Europeans wash their mushrooms without hesitation.

The one thing I WOULD caution you is that the GILLS of the mushroom absorb more water than the rest of the mushroom -- tons more. So avoid getting the gills wet at all costs. This is especially true with portabellas http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif