Whether you have collected them yourself, grown them in your own garden or bought them in the supermarket: you should clean mushrooms thoroughly before eating them. This is so important because otherwise you can quickly grind between your teeth when eating the mushroom pan with pleasure - which in turn impairs the enjoyment to a greater or lesser extent. It is also very important to clean mushrooms properly, otherwise they will lose a lot of their aroma.
Why shouldn't you wash mushrooms?
Mushrooms should not be washed as they absorb water like a sponge, change their consistency and lose their aroma. Instead, we recommend cleaning the mushrooms carefully with a soft brush and a dry kitchen towel.
Washed mushrooms lose a lot of their aroma
Especially in Bavaria and Austria, people also refer to mushrooms as “mushrooms”. In fact, the mushrooms absorb water like a sponge, which is why you should never put them in a water bath. Watered mushrooms acquire a rubbery to gelatinous consistency, no longer become as crispy when fried and also lose a lot of their aroma. Of course, the same applies if you clean the mushrooms under running water. The latter should only be done if the mushrooms are actually very dirty and cannot be cleaned any other way. However, this is usually not the case with cultivated mushrooms.
How to properly clean mushrooms
But if you're not allowed to wash mushrooms, how do you get them really clean? Instead of using water, simply clean the sensitive mushrooms with a soft brush and a kitchen towel:
- First remove any coarse dirt with a soft round brush.
- A normal brush is suitable for this, but you can also use a special mushroom brush.
- Rinse the brush with clean water before use and allow it to dry thoroughly.
- The fine cleaning is then carried out with a paper kitchen towel.
- Rub each individual mushroom thoroughly with the dry cloth.
- To do this, hold the mushrooms in one hand with your thumb and forefinger.
- Don't press too hard, otherwise there will be pressure points.
Tip
Not only do mushrooms absorb water like a sponge, they also naturally contain a lot of water. This is why fresh mushrooms shrink so much when they are fried - the moisture they contain eventually escapes. Depending on the dish, you will need to plan for a correspondingly large amount of fresh mushrooms so that there is enough for everyone. For a dish with mushrooms as the main side dish, expect around 200 to 250 grams per person. If there is also meat or fish, you should plan around 150 grams of fresh mushrooms.
