{"id":11823,"date":"2022-09-02T17:06:31","date_gmt":"2022-09-02T22:06:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/?p=11823"},"modified":"2022-09-04T03:06:17","modified_gmt":"2022-09-04T08:06:17","slug":"how-to-clean-oyster-mushrooms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/how-to-clean-oyster-mushrooms\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Clean Oyster Mushrooms?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You\u2019re just back from the woods with a bumper crop of oyster mushrooms; now what do you do? Perhaps you\u2019ve heard that you shouldn\u2019t wash mushrooms because they absorb too much water; is this true? If so, are there other methods of removing the dirt and debris that\u2019s clinging to your harvest<\/a>? Keep reading! In this article, we\u2019ll talk about how to clean oyster mushrooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can You Wash Oyster Mushrooms?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Can<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

All types of mushrooms act a little bit like sponges; they absorb water quickly and easily. This is because their flesh is filled with pores.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that in mind, you have to be careful about how you clean mushrooms. Oyster mushrooms, in particular, are very absorbent and will take in an extreme amount of water if you leave them in a bowl to soak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people recommend washing wild-gathered mushrooms by dunking them in bowls of water, swishing them around, and quickly removing them. However, this method doesn\u2019t work for oyster mushrooms\u2013they will absorb too much of the wash water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, you can wash oyster mushrooms; just not by dunking or soaking them.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which, of course, brings up a very good question: how, exactly, are you supposed to wash oyster mushrooms?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Wash Oyster Mushrooms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before we go any further, we should point out that it isn\u2019t always necessary to wash your mushrooms. If you grow your own mushrooms inside from a growing kit, or if you buy them at the store, chances are they\u2019ll already be pretty clean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only time you really need to wash these mushrooms is if you foraged them from the woods and they are covered in dirt, bugs, and forest debris.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this case, a quick rinse of the mushrooms under running water would be a good idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have large clusters of mushrooms, gently cut them away from the base of the stem that holds them together. Place them in a colander.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using your kitchen tap or sprayer, gently and quickly run water over the colander full of mushrooms, shaking them around carefully so the water runs over all of them and doesn\u2019t saturate some more than others.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no need to keep running the water until every last speck of dirt is removed; just get the worst of it. The water should at least loosen up any specks of dirt it doesn\u2019t remove, and you will be able to easily clean away any of these specks with a paper towel or a mushroom brush later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After you are done rinsing the mushrooms, place them in a single layer on a towel or on layers of paper towel. Allow them to drip dry before attempting to cook with them.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rinsing your mushrooms in this manner will allow you to clean them but will prevent the oysters from taking on too much water. Yes, they will still absorb some water, but it shouldn\u2019t be enough to affect the quality and texture of your mushrooms when you cook with them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other Ways to Clean Oyster Mushrooms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Ways<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Of course, many people prefer not to wash their mushrooms at all, believing that any amount of water absorption diminishes the quality of the cooked mushrooms. If you are in this camp, are there any ways you can clean your dirty oysters without using water?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s take a look at three alternate methods for cleaning your oyster mushrooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use a Paper Towel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is by far one of the most popular methods of cleaning oyster mushrooms. It is a very gentle method of cleaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fold up a piece of paper towel and dampen it with water. You don\u2019t want it to be soaked and dripping; wet it just enough so that it feels damp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gently rub the paper towel across the top of the mushroom cap, applying just enough pressure to remove any dirt or debris without bruising the mushroom or removing some of its color. Turn the mushroom over and rub the paper towel across the underside and down the stem, being careful not to damage the gills.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using a damp paper towel to clean your mushrooms will remove any superficial dirt, though it won\u2019t work well for removing bugs or harder to reach dirt stuck between the gills. For that, you may need to move onto one of the other methods below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the meantime, check out this video to see how to clean oyster mushrooms with a paper towel:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=LsmMzZ2BksI<\/a>