I’m a huge fan of sauteeing or roasting shiitake mushrooms and adding them to soups (like this Shiitake Mushroom Soup recipe) and salads as a topping, but there are tons of ways to use them. Whenever I develop a recipe for a vegetarian meal, I think of mushrooms as key ingredients. If you feel the same way, I know you’ll find today’s subject—cleaning shiitake mushrooms—helpful. However, I recently found out from this article on Cook’s Illustrated that rinsing mushrooms is actually okay. These pro chefs tested the myth by rinsing a batch of mushrooms and weighing them before and after. In the end, the weight difference was so minuscule that the chefs concluded that it’s okay to give mushrooms a quick rinse before use. Now that we know it’s okay to wash mushrooms, let’s talk about how. To do so, wet a sheet of paper towel (a clean kitchen sponge or mushroom brush would also work) and gently wipe each mushroom cap. Make sure you turn it around and clean the back, too. While wiping, remove any visible dirt or debris hiding under or around the gills. Furthermore, there’s no reason to clean the stems.
Using A Salad Spinner or A Colander
Because you can wash and dry many mushrooms simultaneously, using a salad spinner is the best way to clean mushrooms. Plus, it only takes minutes! For this method, place your shiitake mushrooms in the salad spinner insert and rinse them under cold water for 30-45 seconds. While rinsing, gently move the mushrooms around with your hands to help remove any dirt or debris. Spin dry immediately to eliminate as much liquid as possible. If you don’t have a salad spinner, you can use a colander. Simply give your shiitake mushrooms a quick rinse, wipe each one with a sheet of dry paper towel, and let them air dry. To trim the stems, you can do one of the following:
Slice them one by one: Place the cap on a cutting board with the mushroom gills facing down. Then, cut it into thin slices. Stack them up: Place three to four mushroom caps on top of one another and slice them simultaneously.
If you buy loose shiitake mushrooms: Place the mushrooms in a plastic bag, but don’t seal it tightly. Instead, leave the bag slightly open so that air can circulate. If you buy packaged shiitakes: Store the mushrooms in their original containers, as those are specifically designed to balance moisture retention and ethylene gas release. If you end up not using every mushroom, rewrap the container but poke a few holes to help air circulation. Source
Contrary to popular belief, storing mushrooms in a paper bag or wrapping them up with a damp paper towel is not a good idea. These methods will speed up your mushrooms’ deterioration.
Roasting them as a whole in the oven: Simply arrange fresh shiitakes on a baking sheet in a single layer, drizzle them with olive oil, and top them with salt and pepper. Then, bake the caps for a perfectly crisp and easy side dish. If you need an exact recipe, be sure to check out my guide for How To Roast Shiitake Mushrooms. Sauteed Shiitake Mushrooms: Pan-frying shiitake mushrooms with a bit of vegetable oil is also an excellent way to cook them. You can easily enhance their meaty flavor by incorporating other ingredients, too. For an extra Asian flair, saute them with a little bit of sesame oil and soy sauce. Or, for a Mediterranean vibe, saute them in butter and use them to make Shiitake Mushroom pizza.
