Should eating mushrooms be washed?

Normally, before cooking a certain type of food, we all wash it with water , depending on the degree of dirt that can be observed with the naked eye, the corresponding level of washing. But with mushrooms, doing that will be like you are 'killing' them. The following finedininglovers website research article on food science will help you somewhat better understand how to handle mushrooms when eating .

Why shouldn't mushrooms be washed before eating?

Although very familiar, most of us do not understand about mushrooms. The main structure of the fungus consists of a dense network of polysaccharides that absorb large amounts of water . Because other species do not have a proper circulatory system, fungi obtain nutrients by direct absorption through their wall structure. Therefore, people liken mushrooms to sponges with super good water absorption. That also explains why when exposed to the sun, mushrooms can reduce by 50% in volume. At that time, mushrooms can be preserved for a long time if properly dried.

Picture 1 of Should eating mushrooms be washed?
Mushrooms should not be soaked or washed as shown above.

With such a structure, washing mushrooms under a strong tap or soaking in a water bath will make the mushrooms soak up the water very quickly. When cooked, the water in the mushrooms will evaporate, along with the nutrients that will also "go away". When cooked, the mushroom is only a 'corpse' of fibers and muscles, while most of the nutrients have flown away.

If not washing mushrooms with water, how to clean properly?

Although it is not possible to soak or wash mushrooms under strong water, there are ways to clean them while ensuring that all nutrients are preserved. You can handle the following:

  1. Use a knife to remove hard layers of soil, cut off excess roots, cling film .
  2. Using an old brush, moisten the brush and scrub the surface of the fungus (in the corners, walls, under the membrane.).
  3. Clean the brush under running water and repeat until clean.
  4. If you want to speed up the process, you can replace the brush with a damp cloth.
  5. With small mushrooms and you know the origin of the soil in which they are grown, you can wipe them with a dry cloth and then cook them.

Finally, cooking mushrooms is also extremely important , mushrooms should be cooked over heat for as little time as possible. If you feel your mushrooms have been soaked in water, you can put them in the pan on maximum heat, stir quickly and then lower. This will help the amount of water evaporate suddenly but still retain some nutrients.