When I was a young adult, I remember talking with a friend who had more culinary knowledge than I did. As we were discussing a recipe, she mentioned using a mushroom brush to clean that piece of produce. A mushroom brush was new to my list of known kitchen utensils. I asked her why she would need one when you can simply run the mushrooms under the faucet.

“You can’t do that!” she almost shouted.

She went on to explain how mushrooms absorb water, and washing them under water would make them lose flavor. With a little reassurance from cooking magazines (this was the late 90s), I realized the error of my ways and stopped rinsing my mushrooms.

Fast forward to fairly recent times

I didn’t think much about mushroom cleaning after that. I either used a mushroom brush or a damp paper towel and removed any dirt or debris from each mushroom. It was not my favorite kitchen task, but it was what needed to be done to get a clean mushroom.

And then quite recently, the internet presented an idea: mushrooms can be rinsed under a faucet. Not wanting to ruin my mushrooms and having a wealth of information available online, I investigated. It turns out that mushrooms do absorb moisture when washed. However, it is such a small amount that they only require a few extra seconds of cooking to compensate. (You can read more from one of my favorite food people, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt.)

How to clean mushrooms

• If your mushrooms aren’t very dirty, a damp paper towel is a great choice. There is no need to introduce extra liquid if they are fairly clean.
• If your mushrooms are a bit dirtier give them a good rinse, then wipe them down well. Set them on a paper towel to dry a bit more before cooking. For an extra level of confidence, cook them for 15 seconds more.