The Everything Guide to Cooking with Mushrooms (2024)

FAQs

The Everything Guide to Cooking with Mushrooms? ›

Do I need to wash the mushrooms before I cook them? Never wash mushrooms. Instead, Wipe off any dirt with a damp paper towel. You can wash them but they won't be as good in texture/color.

Do I need to wash the mushrooms before I cook them? Never wash mushrooms. Instead, Wipe off any dirt with a damp paper towel. You can wash them but they won't be as good in texture/color.

The Truth About Mushrooms

Dry mushrooms, on the other hand, are very porous. When you heat up a pan with oil or butter and add dry mushrooms, they soak up the fat and never let go of it. You end up with browned but greasy mushrooms.

But why would chefs have such a strong reaction to washing mushrooms? Because mushrooms can absorb a lot of water when you wash them, and you don't want your mushrooms to get soggy.

This will ensure that any little critters living in the mushroom find their way out. Add salt to the water you plan to wash the mushrooms with, making sure the salt dissolves in the water. Add the mushrooms to the water, and allow them to soak for 20 minutes.

Olive Oil + Butter.

Sautéed mushrooms with butter have their benefits, but so do sautéed mushrooms with olive oil. I use both oil and butter for a dynamic duo that pairs searing (oil) with rich, satisfying flavor (butter). (I also use both in my Sauteed Spinach.)

Salt your mushrooms at the end: I know this seems odd, but mushrooms are one of the only things I salt towards the end of cooking. Salt brings out moisture, which, in the case of mushrooms, prevents them from browning in the pan.

Direct, dry contact with the pan lets that moisture boil off quickly, browning the mushrooms and creating a concentrated, flavorful fond on the bottom of the pan.

The researchers concluded that the best way to cook mushrooms while still preserving their nutritional properties is to grill or microwave them, as the fried and boiled mushrooms showed significantly less antioxidant activity.

Keeping your mushrooms in the fridge helps them last much longer than they would on your kitchen counter. You can expect to have your mushroom friends with you for a mighty 7 to 10 days.

Is there a wrong way to cook mushrooms? ›

Don't go too low or high on heat, which can make mushrooms over or under-cooked. Think right in the middle. "Medium-high heat is the way to go with mushrooms. You want their liquids to slowly evaporate while they caramelize," says Norton.

The number one rule of thumb when it comes to detecting freshness is that when mushrooms are slimy, they're no longer ideal for use. Sliminess occurs when mushrooms have been stored incorrectly or allowed to linger in the fridge for too long— it's a clear sign that the mushrooms are beginning to spoil.

The researchers concluded that the best way to cook mushrooms while still preserving their nutritional properties is to grill or microwave them, as the fried and boiled mushrooms showed significantly less antioxidant activity.