For Beautiful, Perfectly Golden Mushrooms: Do Not Wash Them (but Peel Them)
Stop washing the mushrooms. I know it might seem counterintuitive not to wash the fungus that grows in the ground before putting it in your mouth, but trust me on this one.
Notice I didn’t say, “Don’t peel the mushrooms.” They should be cleaned, just do it without water. You see, once the mushrooms get wet, it’s nearly impossible to dry them out again, and excess water can make the caps steamy rather than brown. Given the fact that those crispy, zesty edges are the best part of fried mushrooms (thanks to Maillard for browning !), It makes sense to avoid water as much as possible.
So how do you clean them? Bon Appetit offers a “dry cleaning” method to remove dust and debris with a pastry brush or crumpled paper towel. Given that cultivated mushrooms are grown in sterilized compost, it is unlikely that anything caught in them will be harmful. If you find a stubborn stain that simply needs to be removed, you can try wiping it off with a slightly damp paper towel, but consider the sink a no-fly zone.
Correction : As many of you pointed out in the comments, this was refuted, among others, by Elton Brown. Sorry for the misinformation. Feel free to wash the mushrooms as usual!
Want the perfect mushroom with crispy edges? Don’t wash them | Bon appetit