How To Store Mushrooms Like an Expert Chef

Few issues excite me as a lot as buying at my native farmer’s market each Sunday. Though the distributors not often change—I’ve my favorites—the choice isn’t the identical, and nothing brings me extra pleasure than discovering new elements to play with in my kitchen each single time. (Therefore, I lately ended up with one too many cartons of trumpet mushrooms than anticipated.)

However mushrooms are far more forgiving, not like the perfectly ripe avocados I picked up—which have a most shelf lifetime of a couple of day earlier than they brown in the blink of an eye. That’s if you know the way to retailer them appropriately.

Forward, Michael Handal, chef-instructor of culinary arts on the Institute of Culinary Education’s New York Metropolis campus, shares a number of foolproof ideas for maintaining this nutrient-dense veggie (sure, mushrooms are technically considered a vegetable¹) good and plump for days on finish.

How one can wash mushrooms

Based on Handal, one of the best ways to scrub mushrooms is, properly, you simply don’t (at the very least you do not need to submerge them in water absolutely). “On the whole, mushrooms are higher served by not washing them earlier than cooking,” Handal says. “[Most commercial-grade] mushrooms are grown in fastidiously managed indoor environments and are dealt with underneath circumstances that stop contamination from [harmful] pathogens.” Introducing water into the combo can disrupt the spongy and porous texture of sure sorts of mushrooms. In reality, in accordance with America’s Take a look at Kitchen, after submerging mushrooms with uncovered gills—suppose oyster mushrooms—in water for only one minute, they absorbed as much as 25 percent of their weight in liquid.

Handal says the higher method to “wash” mushrooms is by merely dismissing any filth. “The commonest motive proposed for laundry mushrooms is to take away the compost used to grow the mushroom,” he says. “It will be sufficient to easily brush away this materials with a dry pastry brush or, at most, wipe with a moist paper towel.”

Needless to say cleaning mushrooms earlier than storing them is pointless—a bit of dusting proper earlier than cooking them needs to be greater than sufficient. The much less moisture, the longer they’ll maintain up. You possibly can see the place that is going, proper?

How do you retain mushrooms recent longer?

For optimum freshness, Handal recommends storing recent mushrooms within the unique container you got them within the fridge’s major compartment. “There, they may obtain correct circulation of cool air. The produce compartment or crisper bin doesn’t permit for correct airflow,” he says—the last word aim: Key moisture underneath management to forestall a soggy mushroom catastrophe.

In the meantime, if the mushrooms are bought free, Handal says it’s greatest to switch them to a brown paper bag earlier than stashing them within the fridge. “Fastidiously place the mushrooms contained in the bag and seal it by folding the highest a number of occasions,” he says. “The bag will permit for cool airflow and moisture management.”

Handal additionally recommends avoiding meal-prepping mushrooms earlier than storing them within the fridge. “Recent mushrooms needs to be saved entire and never sliced; slicing will trigger the mushrooms to oxidize and brown considerably quicker than their entire counterparts,” he says.

How lengthy will mushrooms final within the fridge?

As a rule of thumb, to make sure most freshness and style, Handal says mushrooms saved within the fridge needs to be used inside seven days. To reiterate, keep away from washing them till proper earlier than use to assist restrict the moisture publicity as a lot as potential and the expansion of any dangerous micro organism as a result of trapped humidity.

On the flip facet, dried mushrooms will final for much longer. To dry mushrooms, first, clear them completely to take away any filth or particles. Then, both use a meals dehydrator or lay them out on a baking sheet in a single layer and dry them within the oven at a low temperature (round 140°F or 60°C) till they’re crisp and fully dry, which normally takes a number of hours.

“Dried mushrooms ought to stay fairly usable for six months or longer when held in a tightly-sealed plastic bag or plastic dry meals container,” Handal says. Plus, there’s no have to freeze them both.

Are you able to freeze mushrooms uncooked?

When you aren’t planning on utilizing mushrooms inside seven days from once you obtained them, it’s greatest to freeze them. For optimum outcomes, Handal recommends cooking them—”a light-weight sauté or quick oven roast,” he says—earlier than freezing them, as freezing mushrooms uncooked could compromise their style and texture as soon as thawed.  “Washing the mushrooms after which freezing them of their uncooked state would permit them to develop into soggy and moist when defrosted,” Handal says.

What’s one of the best ways to prep mushrooms for cooking?

When you’re able to cook dinner your mushrooms, all you’ll want is a pair of sharp knives. “Trim away dry stem ends and the fringed areas on the ends of the mushroom caps with a pointy knife,” Handal says. Based on him, a paring knife or small utility knife ought to do the job properly. Bear in mind: At all times keep your knives sharp—a kitchen security greatest observe.

Handal notes that sturdier varieties, like white mushrooms, are very versatile—they are often sliced, diced, quartered, you title it, relying on what the mushroom recipe requires. However, oyster mushrooms solely require a slight paring of the stem finish and a delicate tearing of the mushroom’s prime part to prep them for cooking.

Now, in case you’re working with portobello mushrooms, you’ll have to enlist the assistance of a small spoon for the very best outcomes. “Portobello mushrooms, of any measurement, profit from a removing of the darkish gills beneath the cap,” Handal says. “Merely scraping away the gills with the facet of a teaspoon will do the trick. This can even tremendously improve the preparation of the mushroom whether or not it goes on to be sliced, sautéed, or left entire for grilling.”

When you’re all prepped and able to cook dinner, the world is your oyster (mushroom). “On the whole, mushrooms of every type are tremendously appreciated in a variety of recipes, from a easy sauté for a quick pasta, to grilled mushrooms to go along with a good looking porterhouse steak, to a basic French boeuf bourguignon. Having fun with them is essential,” Handal says.

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