Mushrooms

It seems this is rather debateable, so I'd like to hear what the cooks on here think please.

Do you wash, or not wash, Mushrooms before use?

I have always found them to go all slippery and change texture if I do, so have stopped doing it.

Re: Mushrooms

I always wash them and dab them dry with kitchen roll, never noticed a change in texture

Re: Mushrooms

I always wash them and scrub off the grit/soil
I don’t notice a difference in texture though

Re: Mushrooms

All "wild" mushrooms MUST be washed and dried - some, like chanterelles or black trumpets, will be contaminated with bacteria and bugs.

Privately cultivated mushrooms may be be cleaned using a dry cloth or paper towel to wipe off the excess 'dirt' they are grown in, and rinsed in cold water if required.

Commercial mushrooms are grown in a compost that's practically sterile. The soil is heat-treated at tightly controlled temperatures to remove common plant pathogens like mold, bacteria, viruses, worms, bugs and slugs. This process kills nearly all microorganisms - cooking will kill the rest. Wiping should be sufficient.

If in doubt, rinse in cold water and allow to dry out completely on paper towels.

Re: Mushrooms

I have never washed them Mups, in fact, I never wash any food. I always think that once it goes into the pan or the oven, the heat will kill any bacteria and seeing as we wash stuff in cold water anyway, I can't see what good it can do.

Re: Mushrooms

I never wash mushrooms but I do peel them

Re: Mushrooms

Oooh, I say!

Re: Mushrooms

I wash them but don't peel them. Meg, why do you peel them...? Genuinely curious because I have never heard of this before.

Re: Mushrooms

Ditto - but not button mushrooms - they're far too fiddly. Field mushrooms have to be peeled imo but I never wash them - cooking them properly is enough to kill all the bugs and nasties that might be luking.

Re: Mushrooms

I wash any wild ones I have gathered but otherwise - no - just cook and enjoy. I love mushrooms!