How do you clean mushrooms?

October 15, 2025 by
 |  8 Comments  |  Leave Comment

One of the most persistent kitchen myths is that if you wash mushrooms, they will absorb liquid and get soggy. Food scientists tell us that isn’t true, but many people still clean mushrooms only through dry methods like brushing or using a clean kitchen cloth. The Guardian recently put the question of how to clean mushrooms to a panel of chefs, who provided advice on the methods they use in professional kitchens.

Brown mushroom and spinach soup with potato croutons from Good Food (Aus) by Adam Liaw

Harold McGee dispelled the idea that mushrooms are like sponges and will easily get waterlogged. In The Curious Cook, McGee soaked 252 grams of mushrooms in water for a full five minutes. When drained, the total weight was 258 grams, which meant 1/16 of a teaspoon of water per mushroom. A quick wash will result in even less water. That is one reason that Chef Will Murray tells his staff to wash mushrooms at least three times in cold water.

Other chefs continue to promote dry cleaning methods. Ben Rand and Conor Spacey think a pastry brush does the best job of removing dirt clinging to mushrooms, while Claire Thomson – who wrote an entire book about mushrooms – prefers to rub them with a dry kitchen towel. So much for consensus. I like to rinse mushrooms in a colander under cold running water, using my fingers or a pastry brush to gently remove dirt and debris. What is your method for cleaning mushrooms?

Category: Antipasto

Post a comment

8 Comments

  • CapeCodCook  on  October 16, 2025

    I remember that Julia Child (my first real cookery-teacher) also counseled in Mastering that mushrooms should each be carefully rubbed with a damp towel to clean debris to avoid becoming waterlogged.
    Some years ago pragmatism led me to switch to Darcie’s colander method with cold running water and then briefly blotting them a paper towel and I have never looked back!

  • FuzzyChef  on  October 16, 2025

    Wash, spin dry. Works great.

  • KatieK1  on  October 16, 2025

    Once upon a time I belonged to the New York Mycological Society when Gary Lincoff, who wrote the Field Guide to North American Mushrooms for the National Audubon Society, was a prominent member. The common practice was to brush them, which I still do. By the way, is it possible that some mushrooms, such as chanterelles, are more absorbent than white buttons? The San Fransisco Mycological Society says,”delicate flavors are lost in soaking or boiling mushrooms.”

  • bjamison01  on  October 16, 2025

    I was always taught by my mother just to take one or more slightly damp paper towels to gently wipe along the top. Gets most of the residual soil off and doesn’t take very long.

  • JimCampbell  on  October 16, 2025

    Wash? I kind of like the earthy tone.

  • Fyretigger  on  October 16, 2025

    I’m camp FuzzyChef — wash and spin.

  • DromJohn  on  October 16, 2025

    As a former mud pie maker and eater, I’m Camp Campbell.

  • Pennyc07  on  October 17, 2025

    I wipe them with a damp paper towel.

Seen anything interesting? Let us know & we'll share it!

Categories

Archives