This method is for familiar cultivated mushrooms such as button, chestnut and shiitake mushrooms bought as food. Remove surface dirt and prepare pieces suited to the dish. Cleaning is not a way to identify wild mushrooms or make an unknown mushroom edible.
Step by step
Check and clean the mushrooms
Discard slimy or spoiled mushrooms. Wipe away loose soil with a damp cloth, or rinse briefly under running water just before use. Pat rinsed mushrooms dry instead of leaving them soaking.
Remove only the parts that need trimming
Cut away dry stem ends. Button and chestnut mushroom stems are usually usable; tough shiitake stems are better removed from dishes where they would remain chewy. Follow the preparation needed for your particular variety.
Make pieces of similar size
Set a mushroom on a stable side and slice, halve or quarter it for the recipe. Cut large mushrooms more than small ones so the pieces cook at a similar rate. Do not reduce everything to very thin slices if the finished dish needs substantial pieces.
Use the prepared mushrooms
Cook promptly or refrigerate until needed. For browning, add a manageable batch to the pan and allow released moisture to evaporate before expecting a crust.
Dark gills and wet pans
Portobello gills are edible, but can darken a pale filling or sauce; scoop them out gently if appearance matters to the dish. A crowded pan of wet mushrooms will release liquid. Give them time and space rather than adding more oil to a pool of water.
