The Common Kitchen Gadget To Dry Mushrooms Like A Pro
Mushrooms are notoriously difficult to clean with their exceptional ability to hold dirt in their grooves, but they don't have to be. The best way to really get all the gross stuff out of your shrooms is to toss them in a bowl of water for a few minutes until the dirt floats away, but as anyone who has done this knows, you're then left with extra-wet veggies. Mushrooms contain up to 90% water, so they can be more difficult to dry after washing than most produce items.
To simplify the process, try using a device you may already have in your kitchen — a salad spinner. Just place your clean mushrooms in the basket and give them a good spin, which should shake off all the excess water, and leave the veggies ready to cook. If they're still not perfectly dry, you can then use a paper towel to dab away any remaining drops, but this process should take far less time than if you were starting from soaked shrooms.
Salad spinners double as washing and mushroom-drying devices
Not only can you dry your mushrooms in a salad spinner, but you can wash them in there too. Simply throw your whole shrooms in the basket and rinse them with water before placing the basket into the spinner to dry. This method should leave your veggies less soaked than if you dunked them in a bowl of water, although the latter method will typically remove more dirt. It's also worth noting that if you are planning on serving your mushrooms raw, like in a salad, a more aesthetically pleasing cleaning method may be using a dry and clean toothbrush to avoid any dark spots.
But if you're cooking them, you'll want them to be as dry as possible first, so they end up crispy instead of rubbery. If you're going to cook a large quantity of mushrooms, you may have to dry them in batches in your salad spinner. Although you can use this method for any type of shroom, it works particularly well for frilly varieties like maitake and morels. Buttons and creminis have a smoother, rounder shape, so you may be able to get away with a pat dry, although it will take longer.