Prepping and cooking mushrooms?

[Bini]

You have fresh mushrooms in a paper bag, box, or package. You open it. What are all the steps you take to prep and cook them before eating? There's a reason I'm asking.. Apparently there is a 'correct' method in doing this but may not be universally done, at least, by non-chef types. So yes, only interested in what YOU do and know what you've heard.

[beefche]

I moisten a paper towel and wipe them down. If you immerse them in water, the mushrooms soak up the water.

I then cut them as I desire--slice, chop, diced, etc. Cook them according to the recipe I'm using. If I'm only cooking the mushrooms, then I slice them, sautee them in olive oil/butter with some salt/pepper to taste. Dravin will cook them with a little bit of worstershire sauce to flavor them (no oil/butter).

[Iggy]

When I worked at a local mom-n-pop grocery, they would sell their vegetables at a greatly reduced price when they got wrinkly- or not quite as fresh looking. They would package them up and sell them as Ugly Vegetables. Sweet Bell Peppers, mushrooms, etc. They are still edible, but they need to be eaten within a day or two.

I would buy them all. 6 Sweet bell peppers for $0.99. Mushrooms, 1/4 of a flat of bulk for $1.99. This is NOT by the pound. I took them home, washed the mushroom under lukewarm running water with a soft mushroom brush - then put them in a salad spinner. I then trimmed the stem, sliced them and dehydrated them. OR if I got a full flat for $3.99 - I would slice and saute them in a little bit of olive oil and then freeze in 1/2 cup portions.

I also dehydrated the peppers and once done, vacuumed sealed them in 1/2 cup portions.

The stores no longer do this - too bad, because I think getting $0.99 for 6 wrinkly sweet bell peppers is better than tossing them in the garbage.

When I buy bulk mushrooms, I keep them in a paper bag in the crisper of the fridge. I wash them as I use them - under running tepid water and with a soft mushroom brush. Dry on a paper towel, trim the stem end off, slice, eat raw in salads or cook them up.

[Quin]

Depends on the type of mushroom.

If they're grown in manure, as most "button" types, and certain woodland types, are:

- Wash. Under running water use thumbs and palms to thoroughly scrub/sweep every surface.

- Cut. Using a knife, cut off apx 1/2 inch or so off of each.

- Prepare as needed. Whether that's removing stems & chopping, or leaving remainder of stems on and chopping/slicing/ or using whole.

If they're wood, straw, or dirt growing... I generall just Rinse off and remove 1/4 inch of stem.

Q

[Guest]

Any kind of mushroom, I do the same thing... For eating raw, I just brush the mushrooms with a mushroom brush or I wipe off with damp paper towel if I'm at my house (I don't have a mushroom brush, hah! One of my mom's gripes) and cut off rotted parts. My mom insists you shouldn't allow water to soak into the mushroom. Dunno why.

For cooking, I sautee the mushrooms separately from the dish. I heat coconut oil on medium high heat until it sizzles if I sprinkle water on it. Then add the mushrooms and stir and stir until the water leaks out of it. Then I lower the heat to medium and just let it sit until all the water evaporates just stirring enough to keep the mushrooms from sticking to the pan. Then I add it to the end of whatever it is I'm cooking. I usually use it for chop suey. I would put the mushrooms right before putting the corn starch.

[Bini]

See, Beefche and Anatess, that's what I understood.

[Quin]

LOL...

And yet... Washing off manure is required at every restaurant I've ever worked in. Both for health reasons, and the fact that super-tasters can taste it. Which one finds rather a higher concentration of at better restaurants.

I suspect what has gotten miss-passed-on is not SOAKING them.

People used to dry mushrooms as a matter of course.

So our grandparents soaked them.

As we all should.

Before using dried mushrooms.

(And then save the "tea" for stock!!!)

However... many of our grandparents (and parents) continued soaking them even when fresh/after refrigeration allowed us to have fresh fungi. Just out of habit.

HUGE difference between soaking and washing.

Few seconds under running water, or being agitated in a tub in a commercial kitchen... Versus 10/20/60 minutes soaking like dried one.

Wash the poop off your food. ;D

Just generally a good rule of thumb.

Wood/straw shrooms, though, often have a DELICIOUS "salt" layer or "dew" layer that comes off when scrubbed. Never ever ever scrub those. A quick rinse to knock off detritus. Just scrub the poopy ones.

Q

[Guest]

Talked to my mom. You don't want water to soak into the mushroom because it will not caramelize properly. She said it doesn't matter if you're going to eat it raw.

[Bini]

Wash the poop off your food. ;D

Just generally a good rule of thumb.

Q

I watched a show on the history of cheese making. It was interesting to know that there is still a cheese made in Europe that has a mixture of goat droppings in it. You'd have to Google it as I don't recall much else about it but people have been consuming it for hundreds of years. I believe to date that it is considered a delicacy and is very pricy, so not just anyone gets the 'luxury' of devouring it. I can't even recall what country in Europe this was..

[Dravin]

Dravin will cook them with a little bit of worstershire sauce to flavor them (no oil/butter).

When sauteing mushrooms (not as part of a recipe) I use oil or butter. I do use Worcestershire sauce but I use it in addition to, not instead of, some form of fat (bacon grease or butter are my preferences).

[Quin]

I watched a show on the history of cheese making. It was interesting to know that there is still a cheese made in Europe that has a mixture of goat droppings in it. You'd have to Google it as I don't recall much else about it but people have been consuming it for hundreds of years. I believe to date that it is considered a delicacy and is very pricy, so not just anyone gets the 'luxury' of devouring it. I can't even recall what country in Europe this was..

Yuck.

That's like the coffee beans that are used after covet cats eat them and poop them out.

I'm with Dave Barry... The word "delicacy" is properly translated as "What can we get this crazy foreigner/barbarian to eat next?!?"

May I just thank JW for the WoW, right now?

I was feeling really grumpy about not having the perfect espresso last week (job in Rome).

Now I'm a little more sanguine.

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Kopi luwak is one of the most expensive coffees in the world, selling for between US$100 and $600 per pound in 2010.[1] The specialty Vietnamese weasel coffee, which is made by collecting coffee beans eaten by wild civets, is sold at $3,000 per kilogram (approx. $1,364 per pound).[31] Most customers are Asian, especially those originating from Japan, Taiwan and South Korea.[32] Sources vary widely as to annual worldwide production.

The price paid to collectors in the Philippines is closer to US$20 per kilogram.[1]

Some specialty coffee shops sell cups of brewed kopi luwak for US$35–$80.[33][34] Some coffee shops in Jakarta serve kopi luwak for $6-10.