How to clean mushrooms

The mushroom is a highly appreciated product in both vegetarian and traditional cuisine. It is not for less, since its texture is very similar to meat and it is easily seasoned thanks to its porosity. In addition, mushrooms provide important nutrients for the body, such as protein, fiber, vitamins (especially C, D and B6), minerals and antioxidants.

Despite all these benefits, these mushrooms and others can become enemies of health if they are not cleaned properly, since they are products that come from the earth and can contain pathogenic biological agents. However, mushrooms cannot be cleaned like most foods, that is, with plenty of water, as they lose their organoleptic qualities (flavor, texture, etc.). For this reason, we want to show you how to clean mushroom correctly, and give you all the tricks for this task.

How to disinfect mushrooms?

Apart from cleaning the mushrooms very well, it is highly advisable to disinfect them.  But as you already know, mushrooms are a very delicate food that you must handle with care if you want to enjoy all their qualities. Thinking about this, if you want more healthiness, you could even remove the skin with a potato peeler after disinfecting and cleaning them.

That said; let’s see how to disinfect mushrooms using two very useful methods.

How to disinfect mushrooms with flour and lemon?

1. Wash your hands.
2. Put the flour and lemon juice in a bowl. Use 1 cup of wheat flour (or any other of your choice) and the juice of 1 lemon.
3. Mix the preparation. You should get a paste.
4. Use the mixture to spread it on the mushrooms.
5. Remove the mixture from the mushrooms. You can use a soft bristle toothbrush to do this. Do it carefully so as not to damage the mushrooms. In the end, you should get some mushrooms, completely white.
6. Then, you can clean the mushrooms with the steps that we will give you later.

How to disinfect mushrooms with food chlorine?

1. Wash your hands very well.
2. Clean the mushrooms first. In this case, clean first and then disinfect (different from the previous method). For this reason, before disinfecting, apply the steps to clean mushrooms that we will show you in the next section.
3. Prepare a container with water and bleach. Pour just a few drops of bleach.
4. Dip a cloth in the solution. Then, take it out and squeeze it well, it should be moist, but not too much.
5. Clean each mushroom with the cloth. Pass them the cloth very carefully; this way you will avoid mistreating them.

Tip: Although some people eat the mushrooms raw, preferably cook them, even if it is a minimum of 20 seconds.

How to clean mushrooms before cooking?

If you want to get the most out of dishes made with mushrooms or mushrooms, the main thing is to clean them very well. This practice not only prevents any digestive disease, but also prevents ingesting pieces of earth or stones. Follow these steps to learn how to clean mushrooms before cooking:

1. Wash your hands very well.
2. Have two containers on hand. One bowl will serve to put the dirty mushrooms and the other the clean mushrooms.
3. Prepare two very clean microfiber cloths, moisten them and wring them out very well.  One will serve for the first cleaning and the other to remove any remaining dirt.
4. Clean the trunk of the mushroom. Remove most of the dirt with a first pass, and then pass another cleaner damp cloth to finish. Although some people recommend cutting the trunk first, this practice is not advisable, since by cutting them like this, bacteria enter the mushroom.
5. Cut off the earthy part of the trunk or stem.
6. Clean the mushrooms one by one. Although this process may seem a bit tedious, you need to be meticulous when cleaning the mushrooms, because if there are traces of dirt left, you can ruin any recipe.
7. Remove the accumulated dirt on the caps of the mushrooms with a toothbrush. Lightly wet a soft bristle brush and rub the mushroom carefully until the dirt is removed.
8. Finish cleaning with the damp cloth. The idea is to remove any remaining dirt by rubbing them in quick but careful circular motions. Try not to use too much force.
9. Dry the mushrooms with a towel or absorbent paper. Moisture is the number one enemy of fungi, although ironically they reproduce from it.

Some experts recommend rinsing mushrooms at the end of cleaning. There is quite a controversy surrounding this practice. There are those who say that if you wash the mushrooms they lose practically all their organoleptic characteristics. While other people argue that they do not and that, in any case, they only lose a little and it is worth it for the healthiness.

If you prefer to rinse the mushrooms, instead of passing them a last damp cloth, do it, and tell us the result. Of course, put them in a colander and just rinse them lightly under the tap, because if you soak them they will be damaged. Never let mushrooms soak.

Tip: there are special brushes to clean mushrooms if you want to make the job easier.

How to wash sliced ​​mushrooms?

You already know how to clean whole mushrooms, but you are probably wondering how to wash cut mushrooms, the kind that come from stores. Here we tell you how to clean sliced ​​mushrooms:

1. Wash your hands very well.
2. Prepare a very clean cloth (preferably microfiber), moisten it and wring it out very well.
3. Cover a tray with absorbent paper. Reserve it.
4. Place the mushrooms on a wooden board and examine them. She checks both faces.  If they don’t feel firm to the touch, and they look slimy, discard them, as these characteristics show that they are breaking down. Reserve those that are in good condition.
5. Clean the mushrooms cut one by one. Use a microfiber cloth, a regular cloth, or an absorbent napkin. Moisten them and squeeze them to avoid excess water. Clean them thoroughly, especially where you see dirt.
6. Lightly rinse them(optional). Some experts think that if you wash it lightly, without overdoing it with water, nothing happens. This step is recommended if the mushrooms are very dirty. Another alternative is to have another damp cloth for the final cleaning (you can even moisten it in a solution of water with a few drops of food bleach).
7. Arrange the mushrooms on the reserved tray. Distribute them so that they are not piled up,
8. Dry them with absorbent paper. Pass the paper lightly over them; they should be as dry as possible.
9. Cover the mushrooms with absorbent paper (two layers). This way they will finish drying.
10. Refrigerate until used. Reserve them until you cook them.

Tip: Even if mushrooms look clean, you should always clean them.

How to cut mushrooms?

Cutting mushrooms is not complicated at all, you just need to have them clean, to later count them with the help of a sharp knife. That said; keep the following considerations in mind before you chop mushrooms:

1. Wash your hands very well.
2. Use a very sharp knife. Neither dull knives nor serrated knives; both spoil the soft but firm texture of the mushrooms.
3. Cut the mushrooms on a wooden or plastic board. This way the knife stays sharp and the cuts are more precise. Use a board that you have designated especially for vegetables.
4. Have two containers on hand. On one side, have the bowl where you place the whole mushrooms. On the other hand, have a bowl to place the mushrooms already cut.
5. Hold the mushroom by the cap or hat. Lay the mushroom flat on the board, with the stem facing the cutting surface. While you make the cuts, grab the cap or hat very carefully, avoid crushing or mistreating it at all times.

Types of cuts for mushrooms

Once you know how to clean mushrooms, you just need to choose the type of cut that is most useful to you. Next, we leave you the different types of cuts for mushrooms and the techniques to follow to learn how to cut mushrooms:

• Mushrooms in half. Cut a mushroom in half. Rest the knife on the board and just raise and lower the back of the blade, much like a lever.
• Quartered mushrooms. Cut a mushroom in half, and then cut those halves in half as well. In this way, you will get 4 pieces of each mushroom.
• Sliced ​​mushrooms. Put the mushroom cap facing down. Make cuts as thick as your recipe calls for, i.e. very thin, thin, or thick.
• Mushrooms in cubes, chopped or shredded. Place the cap of the mushroom facing down. Cut several slices, then slice them lengthwise, vertically, then slice horizontally. You will have several squares left; the thickness will depend on how finely you chop the mushroom.
• Mushrooms in strips. Keeping the knife on the board, push the blade forward just a little, moving smoothly over the mushroom. Make several cuts lengthwise, slightly moving the knife sideways. On the hand holding the mushroom, your fingers should be curled up and only the knuckles showing.