How to properly clean champignons

There are many controversial issues in cooking. For example, one of the questions: how to clean champignons? Let's try to figure out how to properly prepare champignons before cooking them.

Possible pre-treatment methods

Champignons are one of the most famous types of mushrooms. They are loved for their unique taste, year-round availability and for the benefits they bring to the body. For example, few people know that this type of mushroom contains vitamin D, which helps the body absorb calcium. It is important that they are the safest and most environmentally friendly mushrooms. How to properly clean champignons to preserve their natural usefulness?

Since champignons are most often bought in a supermarket or at the market, the issue of their pre-treatment is relevant. No one knows in what conditions they were stored and how many times they were dropped on the floor during transportation before the mushrooms hit the counter. In addition, these mushrooms often show traces of soil or may have dark spots. Based on this, fresh store-bought champignons can be subjected to the following types of pre-treatment. You can do this with them:

• rinse off dirt under running water;
• wipe with a damp cloth;
• peel off the top layer of skin on the mushroom cap;
• update the cut on the leg;
• trim skirts;
• remove dark brown plates under the cap;
• cut off dark spots and damaged areas.

It is not necessary to do all the above manipulations to clean the champignons.We must act according to the situation. For example, if the mushroom is dirty, it must be washed, if the cut on the stem has darkened or it has withered, the tip of the stem should be cut off, etc.

Tip: It is believed that for champignons whose cap diameter is more than 3 cm, the skin on it becomes rough. It needs to be removed before cooking as it will not cook properly and will be tough in the finished dish. However, to understand whether it is necessary to cut the skin off the cap, it is not necessary to measure each mushroom with a ruler. When washing, just try to move the skin with your fingertip. If it comes off, it should be removed.

How to clean correctly

There is no unequivocal answer to the question: is it necessary to peel champignons? Fresh mushrooms are processed to varying degrees before cooking, depending on three factors:

• degree of pollution;
• the dish in which they will be used;
• consumed raw.

If fresh mushrooms were bought for frying, then just wipe them with a cloth, cut off the dark spots and renew the cut. They should not be washed, as champignons quickly absorb water and will simply spread out when frying. Also, if the mushrooms are dry before slicing, they will turn out crispy when fried.

In the case when fresh champignons are intended for stuffing and subsequent baking, making cream soup or filling for a pie, they can be washed. As a result, earthen deposits, grains of sand and other dirt that may be present on the mushrooms are removed. Chefs offer an interesting method of washing. It consists of the following:

1. Place the champignons in a deep bowl.
2. Pour enough cool water into a bowl to cover the mushrooms.
3. Add a little flour (about 1 tbsp).
4. Mix the mushrooms with your hands several times. In this case, the flour particles will act as a kind of “scrub” that will help wash off the dirt more easily.
5. Drain the water. Now the clean mushrooms are ready for slicing.

Despite the fact that you can wash mushrooms in this way, you cannot soak them for a long time.As mentioned above, champignons, like a sponge, absorb water. Watery, they are not tasty and lose all their charm.

Separately, it is worth mentioning about champignons intended for stuffing. For this purpose, large specimens are used, from which the thin layer of skin covering the cap must be removed. Otherwise it will turn out tough. Also, the stems and dark brown plates under the cap are removed from the mushrooms.

If you plan to eat the champignons raw, they must be thoroughly cleaned. In addition to removing particles of earth, sand and other contaminants by washing, many “raw foodists” place them on a baking sheet in a hot oven for 30-60 seconds. This is done for disinfection. Then the mushrooms can be safely used to prepare salads and other dishes. Separately, I would like to note that only the freshest champignons, the “age” of which has not exceeded 5 days, are suitable for food in their raw form.

Champignons are unusually aromatic and extremely healthy mushrooms. There is no person who has never tried them. Prepare them correctly and enjoy the unique taste of your favorite dishes!