Do I need to wash mushrooms before cooking or freezing?

Properly prepared champignons become the main dish on the table: mushroom soups, side dishes and snacks are loved by both adults and children. But not everyone can fry or cook a product deliciously: mushrooms are famous for their hardness, wateriness and other incidents. How to clean champignons, do I need to wash them before frying and store them in the freezer? Washing and cleaning significantly affect the quality and taste of champignons. We want to help housewives master cooking champignons, because it is not so easy.

Features of preparing champignons

Questions about cooking and preparing mushrooms are some of the most debated questions in the culinary community.

Mushrooms are cooked immediately after cleaning: this way they will not have time to spoil. If the champignons lie down, they will lose a lot of vitamins and become tough and covered with dark spots.

The method of preparation depends on what mushrooms were taken. If they are fresh forest ones, then you need to thoroughly clean them of debris and cut off the lower part of the stem. Their film is very delicate; it does not need to be removed.

Store-bought mushrooms may not be cleaned with such care, but it is recommended to remove the film from the cap.

Cooks have divided opinions about washing mushrooms: some say that water spoils the appearance and taste of the product, others believe that rinsing is mandatory.

Clean or wash?

Why do many people neglect to wash mushrooms before cooking? Water may cause tender flesh to darken.Leaving raw mushrooms for a long time at room temperature leads to loss of shape.

Champignons themselves contain a lot of moisture and also have the ability to quickly absorb it. That is why soaking them is strictly contraindicated. But in some cases you cannot do without water: no one needs pieces of earth, needles, leaves and dust in a ready-made mushroom dish.

The product must not be washed before drying and frying. In this case, they are cleaned of dirt with a brush or sponge.

How to properly wash champignons before cooking to prevent them from becoming watery:

1. Rinse them very quickly, for 5-10 seconds.
2. Use cool water.
3. After washing, immediately place the mushrooms on a napkin or waffle towel to absorb excess moisture. Wait about 15 minutes.
4. Start cleaning, and then start cooking.
5. By the way, washing can be replaced by wiping with a damp cloth.

Advice
Don’t be afraid to wash young champignons - they are quite dense and do not tend to accumulate moisture as much. They can even be soaked in salt water for 15 minutes to remove pests and dirt particles.

Clean-looking mushrooms do not need to be washed. If you are afraid, then pay attention to the heat treatment of the product: frying and boiling will eliminate pathogens.

Mushroom cleaning technique:

1. Using a knife, cut off part of the leg and all damaged areas, if any. Cut off the stem by 1-2 mm; if the mushroom is stored for a long time, then cut it off by more.
2. Clean large fruits with a special brush for mushrooms or just with a soft brush, for example, for your hands. You can get by using a fork carefully.
3. The hat needs to be cleaned both outside and inside. Use a knife blade to pick up the film at the edge of the cap and carefully peel it off with an upward motion.Since the upper layers of champignons are prone to the accumulation of heavy metals and other harmful substances, this action is considered mandatory.
4. For large and old mushrooms, it is better to remove the “collar”.

Advice from purity-en.htgetrid.com magazine
If you don’t have a special brush or you are afraid of damaging the mushrooms with bristles, go over them with a piece of flannel or any other soft cloth.

Champignons are very rarely eaten raw, but if you are one of those gourmets, then clean the product very carefully. To disinfect, it is recommended to heat the mushrooms in the microwave or oven for a minute.

How to store, freezing

The rules for storing champignons require mandatory compliance: mushrooms are a perishable product.

Important
If the champignons are fresh, but they are planned to be cooked tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, then do not wash or peel them! Simply place the bag of product on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.

Basic storage rules:

1. The first thing you need to learn about champignons: any manipulations are carried out immediately before cooking.
2. Do not tie the plastic bag so that the moisture released by the mushrooms does not accumulate in it.
3. The maximum shelf life in the refrigerator is a week. Make sure that the temperature in the chamber is within 2-4 degrees.

Long-term storage in the freezer is also possible. How to approach freezing a product:

1. It is enough to wipe them with a damp cloth and clean them according to all the rules.
2. You can cut the champignons into pieces and sprinkle with lemon juice for better preservation.
3. It is better to place the product in plastic film.

And lastly: how to make a delicious dish of frozen mushrooms? Defrosting should not be carried out completely, otherwise the mushrooms will darken and become soggy.

Prepare champignons correctly, and then they will not disappoint you.This is a very aromatic, mild in taste and healthy product.