Delicious, medicinal, psychedelic, or sometimes deadly, mushrooms are equal parts fascinating and mysterious. Mushrooms and their mycelium still elude us, but we’ve become regular mycophiles in all aspects. The days of only finding white button, cremini, and portabello mushrooms at the grocery store are over. It’s not unusual to find fresh shiitakes or oyster mushrooms among them and the farmers’ market brings even more varieties.
Should you wash mushrooms?
If you’ve ever read a recipe that uses mushrooms, you might have come across advice that you should never wash them because they absorb water. Instead, many cookbooks advise you to clean them with a damp cloth. But, the cooking magazine Cooks Illustrated advises washing them with water. While there is some absorption, the amount is negligible.