How to Prepare Fresh Mushrooms

Fresh mushrooms make an excellent salad topper.

Fresh mushrooms add wonderful layers of flavor to many dishes and make hearty additions to sauces, soups, sandwiches, pizzas and many other foods. You can prepare mushrooms in a variety of quick and easy ways. Mushrooms are delicious, but they're also fat-free, cholesterol-free, low in calories and low in sodium while also providing several nutrients, including vitamin D, selenium, riboflavin, niacin and potassium. And to top it off, they're an excellent source of fiber. Enjoy many different types of mushrooms using different preparation methods and benefit from their rich, nutritional content.

Things You'll Need

• Mushrooms
• Knife
• Microwave
• Damp cloth or soft brush
• Oil or butter
• Microwaveable bowl
• Grill or Broiler
• Basting brush
• Sauté pan

Instructions

Initial Prep

1. Wipe mushrooms with a damp cloth, or remove traces of soil and peat moss with a soft brush.

2. Rinse quickly.

3. Pat dry.

4. Trim the stem if it is dry. Trim the roots if using portabella mushrooms, and trim the tough stem portion when using shiitakes.

5. Serve whole with a dip, or chop the mushrooms, adding to salads, pizza, soup or any other dish desired.

Microwaving

1. Slice 8 oz. of mushrooms. Keep the pieces fairly thick.

2. Place in a microwaveable bowl. No oil or butter is needed.

3. Cover, and cook on high for two to three minutes. Stir once after one minute.

Sautéeing

1. Prepare your mushrooms by slicing or chopping if desired; you can sauté mushrooms whole, sliced, chopped or halved.

2. Brush a pan with butter or oil, and heat on high.

3. Add a single layer of mushrooms, but be careful not to overcrowd.

4. Heat on high. Do not stir.

5. Turn once after the mushrooms become browned on one side.

6. Flip and repeat until the other side turns the same color.

7. Remove from heat, and season as desired.

Broiling or Grilling (Best for Shiitake, Portabella or Larger-capped Mushrooms)

1. Preheat the oven broiler or grill.

2. Brush the caps and stems with oil to keep moist, and season them with salt and pepper.

3. Broil or grill four to six inches away from the heat source. Heat each side for four to six minutes. Brush the mushrooms with oil once or twice during the process.

Roasting

1. Preheat the oven at 450 degrees F.

2. Brush the mushrooms with oil. Use 1 tbsp. of oil for every 8 oz. of mushrooms.

3. Place the mushrooms in the oven in a shallow baking pan.

4. Stir occasionally until brown, about 20 minutes.

Tips & Warnings

• Larger mushrooms also are excellent broiled or on the grill.

• When broiling or grilling, try brushing the mushrooms with your favorite dressing or sauce instead of oil.

• Mushrooms are highly perishable and best if used up to three days after purchase.

• Do not soak mushrooms.

References

• Mushroom Council: Preparation Tips
• The Cook's Thesaurus: Mushrooms
• All Seasons Mushroom Farms Inc.: Preparation & Cooking Basics