You Can Rinse Mushrooms — They Won't Turn to Mush

Photo by Love Krittaya, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The advice to only ever wipe mushrooms clean with a damp towel is one of the most repeated kitchen myths going, but it doesn't hold up: in side-by-side tests, mushrooms soaked in water for a full five minutes absorbed only a fraction of a teaspoon of it, and a quick rinse under the tap makes even less difference. Mushrooms are already over 90% water internally, and their dense structure simply doesn't let much more in from a brief wash. The real rule is just to dry them soon after rinsing rather than leaving them wet, and to skip a long soak for the more delicate gilled varieties, which do take on a bit more water than firmer mushrooms.