# Wash mushrooms?



## tenspeed (Jun 28, 2015)

I've often read that you should not wash mushrooms, as they will absorb water.  Brush off any dirt instead.  I picked up a package of mushrooms from Trader Joe's, and the package states that the mushrooms should be washed before eating.

  I asked Mr. Google, but there are still a lot of differing opinions.  A number of sources state that if you give them a quick rinse, and not soak them, they won't absorb much water.  Others are in the "do not wash" camp.

  I've always wondered how the pre-sliced mushrooms are cleaned.  I can't see how any commercial operation will take the time to brush mushrooms.

  Any consensus on washing mushrooms?  I've always brushed them, but wondering if I'm taking some risks by not washing them.


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## CraigC (Jun 28, 2015)

I don't "wash" white buttons or criminis in the sense of putting them in a bowl of water. I lightly rinse them under running water. IMHO, they don't absorb any water.


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## puffin3 (Jun 28, 2015)

Commercial mushroom growers attempt to sell their mushrooms as heavy as possible b/c they are selling by the pound.
This means harvesting the mushrooms and getting them to the distributor ASAP. The moisture content is critical. Fresh mushrooms contain all the water the mushroom can absorb. Therefore giving a commercial grown mushroom a rinse/light brushing to remove any 'culture' the mushroom was grown in does not allow the mushroom to absorb any more than a little surface moisture.


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## TremontRhino (Jun 28, 2015)

Alton Brown did a bit about this.  He weighed 'shrooms before and after a quick rinse.  Any water absorbed was negligible.


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## larry_stewart (Jun 28, 2015)

What Jacques Pepin says, is that its not whether you should wash the mushrooms, but when you wash them.

He advises to wash them immediately before your going to use them.  

If you wash them when you first get them, then store them, they get kinda smelly and slimy and decrease their fridge life if they don't dry properly.

My grandmother would spend hours peeling them prior to using them.  God bless her, but it just wasn't worth it.  But she was stuck in her ways, and thats the way her mother, grandmother .... did it.


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## Selkie (Jun 28, 2015)

Rinse under running water while using a mushroom (soft) brush. Water absorption is nil!


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## Andy M. (Jun 28, 2015)

Yup!  Quick rinse under running water and pat dry with a paper towel.  Store them in the fridge dirty in a paper bag and wash just before use.


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## Dawgluver (Jun 28, 2015)

I'm a 'shroom rinser too.


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## Kayelle (Jun 28, 2015)

It depends if there's anything on them. Most times there isn't and I don't bother. 

I do have a cute soft mushroom brush however. It's also good on dusty lampshades.


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## taxlady (Jun 28, 2015)

TremontRhino said:


> Alton Brown did a bit about this.  He weighed 'shrooms before and after a quick rinse.  Any water absorbed was negligible.


I was also going to mention that. For me, it's a quick rinse and any necessary brushing.


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## Addie (Jun 28, 2015)

When you take what they are grown in, I wash them. The mixture is sterilized  part dirt and part manure. Mostly dirt. Which doesn't make much sense to me. I would think if it was sterilized, wouldn't the heat of sterilization destroy the bacteria that promote the growth of the mushrooms? But what the heck do I know. I don't grow mushroom. I eat them and happy to do so.


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## GotGarlic (Jun 28, 2015)

Here's an interesting page about how mushrooms are grown on a farm. They're typically grown in compost and use decaying organic matter for food. I wouldn't think sterilized soil would work very well. 

http://smithmeadows.com/farm/how-are-mushrooms-grown/


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## RPCookin (Jun 28, 2015)

My sister was taught way back in home ec in high school that you never wash mushrooms, and I'll bet she still dry brushes them.  She saw me rinsing some mushrooms once about 25 years ago and chewed me out for making them "slimy", which is what her teacher had told her years earlier.  I told her that they were going into a dish that had a water based tomato sauce (chili con carne), and rinsing them wouldn't make a particle of difference in the end result, but she was adamant.  

Since no mule ever born has had a stubborn streak deeper than hers, I just shut up.


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## Rocklobster (Jun 28, 2015)

Non washer, here.


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## medtran49 (Jun 29, 2015)

I used to get a catalog from a mushroom growing place, Mushroom Kits - Fungi.com , because we had ordered a couple of their kits years ago.  They do grow their mushrooms in a sterilized medium so I would assume other producers do so as well to cut down on any unwanted byproduct or contaminant.  The sterilized substrate/growing medium is inoculated with mushroom spawn/culture.


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## letscook (Jun 29, 2015)

I put them into a strainer and I use the sprayer on my sink so they are not sitting in water, them place them on paper towel to absorb any moisture.  
Haven't had a problem with them being slimy or too watery.


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## larry_stewart (Jun 29, 2015)

Just picked these yesterday.
Grew them myself.
"Elm Mushrooms"
Boiled straw to kill off any bacteria
Inoculated the straw with Mushroom spores
Placed in a large plastic bucket with multiple holes drilled 
Placed a plastic bag over it and misted for humidity 
3 weeks later, a bunch of mushrooms.

Made a mushroom rice with them for dinner last night .

I did not rinse these ,as I knew exactly what they were grown in, and the way they were grown, it allowed me to slice them off the bucket, they were as cleans as can be.

Others I will wash, but only before i use them


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## Selkie (Jun 29, 2015)

THAT'S the way to grow and eat mushrooms!!!!! Great going, Larry!!! Wonderful!


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## larry_stewart (Jun 29, 2015)

Selkie said:


> THAT'S the way to grow and eat mushrooms!!!!! Great going, Larry!!! Wonderful!



Thanks,

I was parading these around the house, showing everyone, as if I was showing off baby pictures or something   I couldn't have been any more proud.  I have a mushroom garden out back too, but that doesn't seem to be going as well ( or at all ) .  But this method was pretty fail proof.  can't wait to do it again


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## GotGarlic (Jun 29, 2015)

medtran49 said:


> I used to get a catalog from a mushroom growing place, Mushroom Kits - Fungi.com , because we had ordered a couple of their kits years ago.  They do grow their mushrooms in a sterilized medium so I would assume other producers do so as well to cut down on any unwanted byproduct or contaminant.  The sterilized substrate/growing medium is inoculated with mushroom spawn/culture.



Yes, I read up on it some more and found that they sterilize, then add back just the good bacteria. Interesting process.


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## larry_stewart (Jun 29, 2015)

last year I went to the Kennett Square Mushroom festival ( IN Kennett Square PA),  and had the pleasure of visiting a Mushroom Farm.

It was a really great experience seeing and learning about the mushroom growing process, in addition to mushroom foods, crafts  and everything mushroom


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## Aunt Bea (Jun 29, 2015)

I'm a washer.

I rinse off the sterilized/pasteurized horse and exotic zoo poop used  in some growing mediums.

I also have concerns about the number of people that handle the mushrooms before they reach my kitchen.

Rinsing may not provide any real protection, it does make me feel better.


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## GotGarlic (Jun 29, 2015)

It's the mycelium, or roots, that are in the growing medium. The mushroom fruiting bodies grow above it. Or, as Larry showed, outside the container where they don't touch the medium.


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## CWS4322 (Jun 29, 2015)

larry_stewart said:


> Just picked these yesterday.
> Grew them myself.
> "Elm Mushrooms"
> Boiled straw to kill off any bacteria
> ...


I picked some Pheasant backs this morning (off an elm log that is on the firewood pile). I washed them, cleaned the "gills" off with a spoon, sliced them thinly, sautéed them in a bit of butter, and then added them to my scrambled eggs this morning. Delish! What's another name for the Elm mushrooms, Larry?


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## Addie (Jun 29, 2015)

letscook said:


> I put them into a strainer and I use the sprayer on my sink so they are not sitting in water, them place them on paper towel to absorb any moisture.
> Haven't had a problem with them being slimy or too watery.



I wash mine the same way. A couple of tosses in the strainer and all of them are clean as far as I am concerned. No slime for mine.


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## Kayelle (Jun 29, 2015)

Larry, do you mean to say that it took this thread for you to show your fabulous picture of your bucket of shrooms?  You are one modest man, Man.

Fantastic!!


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## larry_stewart (Jun 29, 2015)

Kayelle said:


> Larry, do you mean to say that it took this thread for you to show your fabulous picture of your bucket of shrooms?  You are one modest man, Man.
> 
> Fantastic!!



Whats even sadder than this, is that I haven't shared my daughters prom or graduation pics yet with anyone, yet Im parading this mushroom pics around like its my kid


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## larry_stewart (Jun 29, 2015)

CWS4322 said:


> What's another name for the Elm mushrooms, Larry?



It appears to be a variety of Oyster Mushroom
This was one of the few things I've done, that actually worked exactly as the instructions claimed, almost to the day.  I could have misted them more and the results would have been better, but Im still excited with what I got, and gives me something to do over the winter.  I doubt Ill get the $30 back in mushrooms that i spent on the kit, but it was fun.  Other mushroom logs I didn't have as much luck with.

Elm Oyster Garden Kit | 100th Monkey Mushroom Farm


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## Addie (Jun 29, 2015)

larry_stewart said:


> Whats even sadder than this, is that I haven't shared my daughters prom or graduation pics yet with anyone, yet Im parading this mushroom pics around like its my kid



Well, get busy. You know we are crazy for pictures. I love prom night. You get to see all the girls in their beautiful gowns and boys nervous about taking their date out for the first fancy date. In this neighborhood everyone comes out and gets pictures. Even though it isn't even their kid. You even see some on the neighbors with tears. So send those pictures so we can all go Oooh and get choked up remembering sending our own kids out the door. 

That is quite a neat hobby you have there. It does sound like fun. I can't blame you for getting so excited. That is quite a big success. Congratulations on your farming skills.


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## Dawgluver (Jun 29, 2015)

Your mushrooms are gorgeous, Larry!  I'd parade them around too!

Eons ago, I ordered a shitake log from a catalog, and faithfully followed the instructions.  I got 3 mushrooms, and nothing after that, even though it was touted as a repeat producer.

What we are lucky for around here are Hen of the Woods mushrooms.  I haven't found any myself, but we're blessed to have a friend with Hen benefits who does.  Hens definitely need to be washed, even soaked in salt water, to get the bugs and ookies out, but they are absolutely delicious, and never get slimy or mushy.  They last forever in the freezer, and are great for dehydrating.


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## Addie (Jun 29, 2015)

Gee Dawg, my sister had a back retaining wall that was built in the 1700. She used to collect the Hen in the Woods every year. They just kept coming back, over and over. Faithful little buggers.


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## Dawgluver (Jun 29, 2015)

Addie, I envy your sister!  One of our neighbors had a dying tree that was great for Hens.  Sadly, he cut it down and burned out the stump.  But our friend still thinks of us, and brings us a stash when he finds them.  His own family won't eat them!


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## Addie (Jun 29, 2015)

They don't know what they are missing. YUM!


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## CharlieD (Jun 29, 2015)

I wash whole mushrooms, but not the sliced ones. Also I for sure wash the wild mushrooms several times.


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## CWS4322 (Jun 29, 2015)

Here's to a link of Pheasant backs. 


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyporus_squamosus#/media/File:Polyporus_squamosus_01.jpg


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## larry_stewart (Jun 29, 2015)

My friends, friend goes mushroom hunting each year for hen of the woods.  He actually sets his gps so he knows exactly where each tree is located.  Thats taking it to a whole other level.


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## CWS4322 (Jun 29, 2015)

I only hunt for wild mushrooms in my yard. Morels, chanterelles, puffballs, pheasant backs, and turkey tails.


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## tenspeed (Jun 30, 2015)

I followed the suggestions of a quick rinse with the sprayer and promptly drying just before using.  Worked out well.  Thanks to all for the info.


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## lyndalou (Jun 30, 2015)

I do what Andy does.


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## CarolPa (Jul 28, 2015)

I'm a little late on this thread but wanted to make a comment.  If I get mushrooms that are "new", nice and white, I just wipe them with a damp cloth.  But once they get a little older, or if they have that black stuff clinging to them I peel them.  DH think's I'm nuts, and some people here probably do too.  Mostly I just fry them and it makes me feel better that all that stuff is off them.  When they are new, you can't really peel them but they peel easily when they get older.


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## RPCookin (Jul 28, 2015)

I heard a comment (I think maybe it was Bobby Flay?) that you should let those generic button mushrooms age a few days before using them.  Letting them go a bit brown actually adds flavor to what is otherwise a fairly bland mushroom.  I've used them after being in the fridge for 7 or 8 days and found them quite good.  I wouldn't use them raw for a salad, but sautéed or incorporated into a dish they work just fine.


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## taxlady (Jul 28, 2015)

Thanks for the tips Carole  and RP. I have some mushrooms, um, "aging" in the fridge.


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## Chef Kenny (Aug 13, 2015)

taxlady said:


> Thanks for the tips Carole  and RP. I have some mushrooms, um, "aging" in the fridge.



Those aging shrooms are great for a homemade cream of mushroom soup.

Years ago I went to a now defunct produce market. Outside on a table with the "must be sold now" less than fresh veggies was a huge bag of shrooms, the white button kind, literally sitting in the sun going bad (gee wonder why they went out of business, you don't leave stuff like that in the heat and sun).

I rescued that bag of shrooms (and yes there were a few bad ones making for a great gag reflex when the bag was opened), brought them home, WASHED them and made the best homemade...the first homemade cream of mushroom soup I ever made. I even gave a sample to a local chef for whom I was doing some stainless steel work in his kitchen at the time; his eyes lit up and he ate it all...and loved it.

Now I'm giddy when shrooms go on a great like BOGO sale because that means cream of shroom soup! It aint nothin' like that crap in a can!


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## Chef Kenny (Aug 13, 2015)

*Shroooooms!*

Larry_stewart, 

  You are da man. I have got to get back on my mycology path. I was obsessed with it when I first moved to the woodsy home we live in now. I was like “there has GOT to be some varieties of mushrooms I can eat growing around here”. It was like that saying “water water everywhere but not a drop to drink”…I had shrooms everywhere! But knew there was danger.

  Then I joined The Shroomery web site to learn…how to kill yourself with wild mushrooms! I did find many varieties and kept my deep fryer going for a few years on that tangent. I walk by them now and just make a mental note like “hey, beautiful puffball there…I used to eat those”! I used to ask random home owners to harvest mushrooms from their yard but had to interrogate them as to any chemicals they may have used. People got this puzzled look on their face “I can’t believe this stranger just asked for my yard mushrooms”! I would nearly wreck my car keeping an eye out for shrooms after a soft rain.

  So back on topic:

  The simple answer is "wash the mushrooms". Like others said here, there have been tests debunking the myth that “washing mushrooms is detrimental and that they are little sponges that will soak up that water”. I STILL see TV chefs saying this…it’s irresponsible for them to do so in my opinion because produce comes from all over, you don’t know what’s on them when you buy them. Heck they just discovered Mexicans were defecating in the cilantro fields down there…a good reason to grow your own.

  America’s Test kitchen also did the test to debunk this heinous myth that has people spending all this time brushing shrooms or eating potentially dangerous unwashed shrooms. They soaked one batch, rinsed one batch and dried them on a towel then weighed them and compared to the unwashed control sample there was almost no change in weight, Mushrooms are essentially all water, the only ones that act like sponges are dehydrated or dried.

  I do not buy sliced mushrooms. I don’t usually buy ANY pre-prepared vegetables. I prefer to cut my own. I refuse to buy bagged salad anymore as well; I can tell when I go to a restaurant and they are using bagged salad mix, I can literally taste it, plus there have been a whole lot of contamination cases over the years, those bags seem to be petri dishes and almost no-one is going to wash a salad mix before they eat it.

  I would think you would have no problems washing sliced mushrooms either, if they are the meaty button kind. You’d have to be careful with big slices of portabella if you want them in whole slices to keep them from breaking.

  With button and cremini shrooms, I wash them under running water using my hands to remove stubborn grow medium then lay them on a kitchen towel. Before slicing them for a salad for instance I pick each one up with the towel and use the towel to dry them off. Yes, we wash a lot of towels in Chef Kenny’s house…I’m old school like that. I did not learn that from momma, she won’t use towels or sponges, afraid of bacteria.

  I do not wash mushrooms till I’m ready to eat them. I leave them in the little container they are sold in which is designed to let them breathe. If I buy bulk loose ones, I tuck a paper towel underneath of them and leave them in the bag they are in, with the top of the bag loosely crumpled together, not sealed.

  During my mycology obsession and time on The Shroomery it was always advised that you not only wash wild mushrooms but you always cook all of them, every single type before eating. They advised to NEVER eat a raw wild mushroom of any type and that is AFTER you have 100% positively identified that you have a safe to eat shroom using spore prints, bruise testing and written and pictorial media and even a post and Q&A on The Shroomery where people who live for shrooms will tell you if you are good to go. If you don’t know what you are doing, do not eat wild mushrooms…period. Your mileage, danger level…and lifespan might vary!

  Homegrown shrooms are safe, especially if you bought spore kits from a reputable dealer.


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## taxlady (Aug 13, 2015)

When I lived in the country, I tried to learn to identify mushrooms. I had my book and my coloured papers so I could see what colour the spores were. I brought home delicious looking mushrooms and identified them as things with names like "poison pie". I never once identified something edible using the book.

I did, once, find some morels. I also collected brain mushrooms (sometimes called false morels), but mostly at a friends place. Yes, I know they can be toxic, but we always cooked them and I collected enough that I dried lots of them and cooked them later. They are very delicious.


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## GotGarlic (Aug 13, 2015)

Chef Kenny said:


> America’s Test kitchen also did the test to debunk this heinous myth that has people spending all this time brushing shrooms or eating * potentially dangerous unwashed shrooms*.



You cannot wash pathogens off of raw produce.


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## CarolPa (Aug 13, 2015)

Years ago there was a woman from my church who used to go across the road to an abandoned farm and pick mushrooms and bring them home and cook them.  She did it for years, until one day she picked the wrong thing and became deathly ill, but did recover completely.  Luckily she was the only one in her family who ate them.  I would never trust myself to pick the right ones.


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## Dawgluver (Aug 13, 2015)

Friends were good mushroomers, and cooked up a bunch of morels.  The husband got terribly sick.  Apparently there was a false morel in the bunch.

I only trust Hen of the Woods here, unless the mushrooms are gathered by an expert.


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## taxlady (Aug 13, 2015)

GotGarlic said:


> You cannot wash pathogens off of raw produce.


Really? How do you get them off lettuce, etc. then?


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## GotGarlic (Aug 13, 2015)

You don't. You can wash off dirt but not microbes.


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## Andy M. (Aug 13, 2015)

I suppose if there were pathogens in the dirt on the surface of the veggie, you could wash them away.  If they are internal to the veggie, you are out of luck.


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## GotGarlic (Aug 13, 2015)

Some pathogens adhere tightly to the surface of the food. They also get into crevices, especially in greens, and are practically impossible to remove. 

http://livescience.com/32250-does-washing-fruits-and-vegetables-make-them-safe.html


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## GotGarlic (Aug 13, 2015)

Btw, did you know that the human body is 90 percent bacteria and 10 percent human cells?  

http://www.scientificamerican.com/a...s-carry-more-bacterial-cells-than-human-ones/


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## taxlady (Aug 13, 2015)

GotGarlic said:


> Some pathogens adhere tightly to the surface of the food. They also get into crevices, especially in greens, and are practically impossible to remove.
> 
> Does Washing Fruits and Vegetables Make Them Safe?


Thanks for the link. So, you can wash *some* of the microorganisms off, but you won't necessarily get them all off.


GotGarlic said:


> Btw, did you know that the human body is 90 percent bacteria and 10 percent human cells?
> 
> Humans Carry More Bacterial Cells than Human Ones - Scientific American


I had no idea that it was that much.

I read that poop is almost all bacteria, not what's left after food is digested. I still figure it's mostly what's left after the food is digested. It's just inside bacteria now.


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## GotGarlic (Aug 13, 2015)

taxlady said:


> I read that poop is almost all bacteria, not what's left after food is digested. I still figure it's mostly what's left after the food is digested. It's just inside bacteria now.



That depends on how much indigestible fiber you eat


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## taxlady (Aug 13, 2015)

GotGarlic said:


> That depends on how much indigestible fiber you eat


In what way? Gut flora eat fibre. Fiber-Famished Gut Microbes Linked to Poor Health - Scientific American


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## GotGarlic (Aug 13, 2015)

That article doesn't differentiate between soluble and insoluble fiber: http://www.m.webmd.com/diet/features/insoluble-soluble-fiber


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## Chef Kenny (Aug 13, 2015)

GotGarlic said:


> You cannot wash pathogens off of raw produce.



I wont challenge that at the moment. Don't have the time right now to research it.

Here is the USDA page on fruits and vegetables:

Raw Produce: Selecting and Serving it Safely

I realize you have linked info supporting your statement in another thread and I'll get to it eventually...I have a job and a business on top of gardens to deal with but I am interested in reading it.

BUT the USDA does refer the activity of washing as "reducing" bacteria. Here is a quote from that page "Dry produce with a clean cloth towel or paper towel to further reduce bacteria that may be present".

I'm not a doctor or a scientist, but maybe there is something to reducing bacteria through the action of washing...that consuming large amounts of bacteria is a greater likelihood of illness than smaller amounts. This would support that you in fact DO "reduce" bacteria by washing, BUT in the line of thought you have put forward, you can never get it "all" off.

Why would the USDA say this? if washing vegetables and fruit did nothing to reduce bacteria, washing would be to simply remove debris that would change the taste or texture of the food...like grit for instance. So if there is nothing visible, or texturally evident, washing would be pointless.

I have always said we all need some bacteria to keep our immune systems on the job. In fact, I make KimChee and will be working on sauerkraut here soon and just did my first real crock dill pickles. That is an example of purposely encouraging bacteria...beneficial bacteria!

A pathogen is a biological agent that can cause disease or illness in it's host.  it may be bacterial or viral in origin.  not all bacteria are pathogens. So maybe washing can remove some of the pathogens that are bacteria, but not pathogens that are not bacteria.


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## GotGarlic (Aug 13, 2015)

I didn't say it wouldn't do anything. Reduce is not the same as eliminate. 

Trust me, I know what bacteria and pathogens are. I worked at a medical school for 14 years and became a master gardener two years ago. I research nutrition and food safety constantly because I have medical conditions that reduce my body's ability to absorb nutrients from food. I also have a food handler's certificate from a class in culinary school three years ago (I had to withdraw because of medical issues). I still have the book from that class.


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## Chef Kenny (Aug 13, 2015)

That's an impressive resume. I was not challenging your  background...we don't know each other enough to even think of such a  thing. 

Your comment was "you cannot wash pathogens off of raw  produce". That's all I saw, I hadn't read your links above like I said.  For some reason I thought they were in another thread. At least they are  here so I can easily come back and read that info. Knowledge is a good  thing.

Also, sorry to read about the medical issues. Gotta be tough.


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## GotGarlic (Aug 13, 2015)

Thank you. 

My statement was probably more definitive than it should have been. And yes, we don't know each other. That's why I described my background - so you could see where I'm coming from.


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## FoodieFanatic (Aug 30, 2015)

I have been washing mushrooms for over 40 years and have never, ever, noticed they retain water.  I have even put them in a bowl of water to clean them again, nothing happened other than they got cleaned.


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## Addie (Aug 30, 2015)

FoodieFanatic said:


> I have been washing mushrooms for over 40 years and have never, ever, noticed they retain water.  I have even put them in a bowl of water to clean them again, nothing happened other than they got cleaned.



I rinse under running water and check for anything I may have missed. If the mushroom should retain any extra water, it will all cook out. It is the least of my worries in the kitchen. I just want to make sure the mushrooms are clean and ready to eat.


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