Cleaning, prepping and cooking fresh food can be time-consuming and tedious, and many people avoid being in the kitchen because of it.
But what if we told you that making fresh mushrooms didn’t have to be a pain?
We’ve got five mind-blowing mushroom hacks to make preparing and serving mushrooms easier than ever:
1. Use an egg slicer to chop your mushrooms.
Those fancy egg slicers are great for slicing more than just eggs. Smaller sized mushrooms like Baby Bellas actually fit perfectly inside of the slice chamber as well.
Create neat uniformly sliced mushrooms with an egg slicer. Waiting to chop your mushrooms until you’re ready to eat them will help them stay fresher longer and reduce waste too. It’s a win-win.
2. Use a melon baller to prepare your mushrooms for stuffing.
This hack works perfectly on smaller, bite-sized fungi. Before stuffing your mushrooms, snap off the stems easily by hand. Next, grab a melon baller and scoop out the core and gills of the mushroom to make extra room for your filling.
Do you love making stuffed mushrooms? We have excellent recipes for Hot Italian Stuffed Mushrooms and Sausage, Raisin and Walnut Stuffed Mushrooms. Check them out!
3. Scrape the gills of your Portabellas to prevent darkening your dish.
The gills of your Portabellas can help to add umami to your meals, however, they can also stain other lighter foods that they’re cooked with. The brownish-gray color of the gills can seep into lighter proteins like chicken or fish and stain starchy foods like pasta, potatoes and rice.
Prevent drab discoloration by scooping out your Portabella gills before cooking them with other lighter-colored foods. Many make the mistake of aggressively scraping the caps and break or damage the mushroom itself. So be extra careful.
Instead, use the tip of your spoon to coax the gills out out in pieces. Scooping them out in chunks makes it easier to remove the center without compromising the “meaty” cap.
4. Don’t stir your mushrooms often while cooking.
We’re all guilty of it: you stick your mushrooms in the pan to cook and stir them around every few seconds. But your fungi will brown beautifully if you avoid stirring them.
That’s right— do not stir your mushrooms in the pan! Simply heat your pan to a medium temperature and pour your melted butter or oil. If you have a non-stick pan, go ahead and sautée your mushrooms without lining it with either.
Next, spread the mushrooms onto the pan in a single layer. Stir or flip about seven minutes later and forget about them. They’ll need anywhere from five to fifteen minutes to cook, depending on the number of mushrooms, size of the pan and your stove.
Do not stir, no matter how tempting it is. Walk away for just a few minutes. You will be glad you did!
5. Cut off the rim of your Portabellas first to make a cleaner looking dice.
The veil around the edge of a Portabella mushroom is thin and fragile. It may make your diced pieces look messy. Avoid this by trimming around the rim of your mushroom before slicing the cap as a whole. Not only will you create smoother cuts, but the slices will look nice and neat on the edges.
6. Microwave your mushrooms to save time.
Place thickly sliced mushrooms in a covered microwaveable bowl and cook on high for two to three minutes, stirring once in between. You can easily add herbs, butter or oil and your favorite seasonings to create an easy 5-minute side!
Put Your Mushrooms On or In a Burger!
If you found these mushroom hacks helpful, then you’ll surely like our other blog on mushroom preparation tips.
Use your newfound knowledge to make delicious blended burgers, right at home.
