How to clean them up properly

Freshly clean and process oyster mushrooms

In the forest collected mushrooms are roughly pre-cleaned on site. In the case of very slimy hats, you should carefully peel off the skin. You can also cut away tough stems. At home, the mushrooms should be cleaned on the same day if possible to be safe from later surprises. On the next day everything is usually eaten away by maggots, which can also affect the externally good mushrooms. When everything has been cleaned and the mushrooms are stored in a cool place, the subsequent processing can also be postponed until the next day.

Always clean dry and do not wash

Oyster mushrooms should always be cleaned dry, i.e. never washed, as otherwise they absorb an unnecessary amount of moisture and lose a lot of their aroma. For cleaning you need a wooden or plastic board, a pointed paring knife and a mushroom brush or a round brush. You should also have kitchen paper, a colander for the cleaned mushrooms and an old newspaper for the waste. First, the mushrooms are cleaned with kitchen paper or by scraping with a knife. Sometimes it is enough if you just rub the hat with your fingers. When the hat and handle are clean, tap the top of the hat with the palm of your hand or a knife to clean the slats. Carefully remove any remaining dirt or small animals with the mushroom brush or a fine paintbrush.

What to pay special attention to when cleaning forest mushrooms

Under no circumstances should you forget to cut the mushrooms lengthways and check for maggot damage. Madige areas can simply be cut away or to be scraped out. If the mushrooms only have individual worm ducts, they can still be easily cut into slices and dried.

Store prepared mushrooms correctly

Mushrooms, like meat and fish, are quick perishable foods. The mushroom protein breaks down quickly and can lead to severe food poisoning. Carefully cleaned, not crushed mushrooms and leftovers from mushroom dishes should therefore only be kept well chilled for about half a day to a day store.