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Mushrooms
How to Clean Button Mushrooms Download Article 8 Recipe Ratings Co-authored by Ollie George Cigliano and Janice Tieperman
Last Updated: April 2, 2025 References
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Removing Any Dirt
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Peeling Away the Skin
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This article was co-authored by Ollie George Cigliano and by wikiHow staff writer, Janice Tieperman. Ollie George Cigliano is a Private Chef, Food Educator, and Owner of Ollie George Cooks, based in Long Beach, California. With over 20 years of experience, she specializes in utilizing fresh, fun ingredients and mixing traditional and innovative cooking techniques. Ollie George holds a BA in Comparative Literature from The University of California, Berkeley, and a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from eCornell University. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 64,657 times.
Button mushrooms are a hardy fungus that go well with a variety of foods. Whether you’re eating them fresh or preparing them in a cooked meal, it’s important to ensure that you’re working with clean produce. To get your button mushrooms as spotless as possible, brush and rinse away any obvious dirt from the surface. If you’d like to get your mushrooms extra clean, try peeling the outer layer of skin from each mushroom. With a little bit of prep time, you’ll be ready to enjoy clean, tasty button mushrooms!
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Removing Any Dirt
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1 Brush away any visible dirt with a paper towel if you’re eating the mushrooms raw.[1]X Expert Source Ollie George CiglianoPrivate Chef & Food EducatorExpert Interview Take a dry paper towel and rub any dusty or grimy spots on the mushroom. Continue wiping until all of the dirt is removed. As you work, set aside a clean bowl or pan so you can separate the clean mushrooms from the dirty ones.
If you don’t want to use a paper towel, try using a pastry brush or your fingertips instead.
Since they can absorb moisture easily, you don’t want your raw mushrooms to be soggy when you’re using them as a salad topper. Because of this, it’s better to wipe off your mushrooms instead of rinsing them.[2]XResearch source [3]X Expert Source Ollie George CiglianoPrivate Chef & Food EducatorExpert Interview
2 Rub each mushroom in a pan of cool water if you’re planning on cooking them. Fill a wide, circular pan at least halfway with cool water. Take each individual mushroom and place it under the water to get it soaked. Next, rub your fingers in short, smooth motions along the cap and stem to get rid of any obvious dirt and other specks. Once you’ve finished rinsing and scrubbing your mushrooms, set them aside on a clean plate.
You might see small, thin pieces of mushroom skin fall off at this time. Don’t worry—that’s just a sign that your button mushrooms are getting clean.[4]XResearch source
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3 Rinse the mushrooms under cool water before cooking with them. Set all of the dirt-free mushrooms in a pan, bowl, or colander to keep them in one place. As you hold the bowl over the sink, turn on the faucet so the mushrooms can be doused with cool water. Move the container of mushrooms in a circular motion so that all of the mushrooms get evenly rinsed.[5]XResearch source
Since cooked mushrooms will be exposed to other ingredients, it doesn’t matter as much if they’re a little damp going into the cooking process.
If you want, you can stop the cleaning process here. Some people don’t see the need to peel way any mushroom skins, and that’s perfectly fine.[6]XResearch source
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Peeling Away the Skin
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1 Pinch and remove the stems if you don’t want to use them. Check your recipe and determine if the recipe needs entire button mushrooms or just the caps. If your dish doesn’t need any mushroom stems (or if you’d just prefer to remove them), then feel free to get rid of them. Use your thumb and pointer finger to grip the stalk, then tug it out with a firm pull. If the stem refuses to budge, trying twisting it a bit.
If you know from the get-go that you’re not going to be needing your mushroom stems, feel free to remove and toss them before you wipe off any dirt.[7]XResearch source
2 Start peeling away the skin from the mushroom cap with a knife. Use a knife with a short blade to pry away the skin from the edge of the button mushroom cap. Look for the especially wrinkly sections of mushroom skin along the curve between the cap and stalk. With the blade of the knife, start peeling off the skin from the cap.[8]XResearch source
You can also use your fingers to peel away the outer skin.
3 Work in sections, going in a circle as you remove the skin. Continue peeling away the outer skin of the button mushrooms with your fingertips or the blade of a knife. Take note that the skin will probably come off in triangular chunks. Keep removing the skin until the entire surface of the button mushroom is white.[9]XResearch source
When peeled, white button mushrooms will look like chunks of mozzarella cheese.
4 Cut away the skin from the mushroom stems to get rid of any dirt. If you’ve decided to keep the mushroom stems attached, use the same peeling technique to remove their skin. Unlike the caps, the skin will peel from the stems in thinner, smaller pieces. Once a mushroom is fully peeled, set it aside in a separate container.[10]XResearch source
5 Store the button mushrooms in their original packaging. Keep the button mushrooms fresh by placing them back in their original carton. Since all of the mushrooms have absorbed some water in the rinsing and peeling process, carefully wrap the carton with plastic wrap. Try to wrap the container up pretty tightly, but keep it loose enough so the mushrooms have room to breathe.[11]XResearch source
For instance, when you tap the plastic wrap with your finger, it shouldn’t be rigid. Instead, there should be a little “give” to it.
Another option to store fresh mushrooms is to keep them in a brown paper bag loosely folded.[12]X Expert Source Ollie George CiglianoPrivate Chef & Food EducatorExpert Interview
Did you know? Mushrooms naturally release a product known as ethylene gas. Because of this, it’s important to keep any container or bag of button mushrooms loose so that this gas can be released properly.
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References
↑ Ollie George Cigliano. Private Chef & Food Educator. Expert Interview
↑ Ollie George Cigliano. Private Chef & Food Educator. Expert Interview
About This Article
Co-authored by: Ollie George Cigliano Private Chef & Food Educator This article was co-authored by Ollie George Cigliano and by wikiHow staff writer, Janice Tieperman. Ollie George Cigliano is a Private Chef, Food Educator, and Owner of Ollie George Cooks, based in Long Beach, California. With over 20 years of experience, she specializes in utilizing fresh, fun ingredients and mixing traditional and innovative cooking techniques. Ollie George holds a BA in Comparative Literature from The University of California, Berkeley, and a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from eCornell University. This article has been viewed 64,657 times. 8 votes - 88% Co-authors: 3Updated: April 2, 2025 Views: 64,657 Categories: Featured Articles | MushroomsArticle SummaryX
Before eating button mushrooms, it’s a good idea to clean them thoroughly to remove any soil or grime. If you plan to eat the mushrooms raw, avoid rinsing them with water, since this can make them soggy. Instead, use a dry paper towel or a pastry brush to brush away any dirt. If you’re going to cook the mushrooms, it’s okay to rinse them. First, swish them around in shallow pan filled halfway with clean, cool water. Gently rub the mushrooms with your fingers to remove any stubborn specks of dirt. Next, place the clean mushrooms in a strainer and rinse them under cool water from the faucet to wash away any remaining gunk. Move the strainer in circular motions under the stream of water to make sure you rinse all the mushrooms. To learn how to get your button mushrooms extra clean by peeling off the skin, keep reading!Did this summary help you?YesNo
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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Co-authored by: Ollie George Cigliano Private Chef & Food Educator Co-authors: 3Updated: April 2, 2025 Views: 64,65788% of voters found this recipe helpful. 8 votes - 88% Click a star to add your vote
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Download Article 8 Recipe Ratings Co-authored by Ollie George Cigliano and Janice Tieperman 
How toClean Oyster Mushrooms 
How to Clean, Trim, & Store Brussels Sprouts 
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Co-authored by: Ollie George Cigliano Private Chef & Food Educator This article was co-authored by Ollie George Cigliano and by wikiHow staff writer, Janice Tieperman. Ollie George Cigliano is a Private Chef, Food Educator, and Owner of Ollie George Cooks, based in Long Beach, California. With over 20 years of experience, she specializes in utilizing fresh, fun ingredients and mixing traditional and innovative cooking techniques. Ollie George holds a BA in Comparative Literature from The University of California, Berkeley, and a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from eCornell University. This article has been viewed 64,657 times. 8 votes - 88% Co-authors: 3 Updated: April 2, 2025 Views: 64,657 Categories: Featured Articles | Mushrooms Article SummaryX
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1 Brush away any visible dirt with a paper towel if you’re eating the mushrooms raw.[1] Take a dry paper towel and rub any dusty or grimy spots on the mushroom. Continue wiping until all of the dirt is removed. As you work, set aside a clean bowl or pan so you can separate the clean mushrooms from the dirty ones. 
2 Rub each mushroom in a pan of cool water if you’re planning on cooking them. Fill a wide, circular pan at least halfway with cool water. Take each individual mushroom and place it under the water to get it soaked. Next, rub your fingers in short, smooth motions along the cap and stem to get rid of any obvious dirt and other specks. Once you’ve finished rinsing and scrubbing your mushrooms, set them aside on a clean plate. 
3 Rinse the mushrooms under cool water before cooking with them. Set all of the dirt-free mushrooms in a pan, bowl, or colander to keep them in one place. As you hold the bowl over the sink, turn on the faucet so the mushrooms can be doused with cool water. Move the container of mushrooms in a circular motion so that all of the mushrooms get evenly rinsed.[5] 
4 Cut away the skin from the mushroom stems to get rid of any dirt. If you’ve decided to keep the mushroom stems attached, use the same peeling technique to remove their skin. Unlike the caps, the skin will peel from the stems in thinner, smaller pieces. Once a mushroom is fully peeled, set it aside in a separate container.[10] 
5 Store the button mushrooms in their original packaging. Keep the button mushrooms fresh by placing them back in their original carton. Since all of the mushrooms have absorbed some water in the rinsing and peeling process, carefully wrap the carton with plastic wrap. Try to wrap the container up pretty tightly, but keep it loose enough so the mushrooms have room to breathe.[11] 
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