Do Mushrooms Need to be Soaked and Why?

Mushrooms are a product, that come in various forms, which allow us to prepare them in different ways such as; sauces, stews, soups, salads, stuffings, appetizers (baked, fried, sauteed, marinated and even raw).

Of course, we must always pay attention to the peculiarity of the type of mushroom, as well as the risk of it being inedible or a poisonous mushroom. So always buy this product from places you trust.

When it comes to cooking mushrooms, the question is always how to do it and whether to soak them in water, in order to more effectively clean them.

Fresh mushrooms, which are suitable for any culinary treatment, not only do they not need to be soaked, but it is also strictly forbidden!

The reason for this is that they have the ability to easily absorb liquids and will soak them up in a short time.

This affects the heat treatment and taste afterwards, especially if we want to saute, bake or fry them. In contact with the heat, water will start to separate from them and will start boiling despite what we had planned for them. As a result, the mushrooms shrink, become tough and tasteless.

If we have still soaked the mushrooms, it is better to make them in sauce or in soups and stews, keeping in mind the liquid they will release and reducing the amount provided for the dish.

So how do we clean mushrooms?

This again depends on the type of mushroom, whether it has a hard, smooth, soft or wavy cap.

For hard and smooth mushrooms such as field mushrooms, it is enough to clean them with a damp, clean and soft cloth. You can also peel the outer layer.

Those that cannot be peeled and are softer - such as oyster mushroom or chanterelle are only brushed and wiped and if there are remnants of dirt on the grooved part, they are washed for a very short time.

With more stubborn dirt and stains, the area is simply cut out.

There are special knives for cleaning mushrooms, which have a brush at one end.

We can only soak mushrooms if they are dried. To add them to our mushroom dishes, it is mandatory to soak them for a few hours depending on how dry the mushrooms are.