Whether you collect them yourself, grow them in your own garden or buy them from the supermarket: You should clean mushrooms thoroughly before eating them. This is so important because otherwise you can quickly crunch between your teeth when eating the mushroom pan - which in turn impairs the enjoyment to a greater or lesser extent. It is also very important to clean mushrooms properly, otherwise they lose a lot of their aroma.
Mushrooms absorb water like sponges and lose their flavor
Washed mushrooms greatly lose their aroma
In Bavaria and Austria in particular, 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. Mushrooms that have been soaked in water acquire a rubbery to jelly-like consistency, become less crispy when fried and also lose a great deal of their flavor. 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 in any other way. However, this is not usually the case with cultivated mushrooms.
How to clean mushrooms properly
But if you can't 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 coarse dirt with a soft round brush.
- A regular brush is suitable for this, but you can also take a special mushroom brush.
- Rinse the brush with clear water before use and let it dry well.
- Fine cleaning is then carried out with a paper kitchen towel.
- Thoroughly rub each mushroom with the dry cloth.
- To do this, hold the mushrooms in one hand between your thumb and forefinger.
- But don't press too hard, otherwise there will be pressure points.
tips
Not only do mushrooms absorb water like a sponge, they also naturally contain a lot of water. This is why fresh mushrooms shrivel up so much when they are fried, and the moisture they contain eventually escapes. Depending on the dish, you have to plan a correspondingly large amount of fresh mushrooms so that there is enough for everyone. For a dish with mushrooms as the main accompaniment, calculate around 200 to 250 grams per person. If you add meat or fish, you should plan around 150 grams of fresh mushrooms.