FRESH MUSHROOMS--wash or not to wash,

Not in my kitchen - stems get sauteed too.

Not much. Harold McGee soaked 252g of mushrooms in water for five minutes, blotted off any surface moisture, then weighed them again. They'd soaked up a mere 6g, or a sixteenth of a teaspoon each – so briefly rinsing mushrooms is unlikely to make much difference at all.

If you make sure to shake the water out of the nooks, fresh mushrooms absorb little if any water. I'd also say that since they're already around 90% water, a little more or less isn't going to make much of a practical difference in the subsequent cooking. Now losing flavour to the water is a different question, and it's possible that you might lose savoury amino acids (aroma molecules tend not to be soluble in water). Even here, though, the amino acids are inside cells, and most cells are not going to be breached by surface exposure to water. So I wash my mushrooms with a clear conscience.

I used to read Harold McGee..
It's been a while, my not taking NYT anymore.
Quite a guy..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_McGee

is why?

https://able2know.org/topic/65032-2

2005

my memory isn't completely shot

well, I washed em n did the experiment. It true, the mushroom doesnt take on anu water after washing and it about the same brushing or washing. SO , going for the better idea for removing compost from the mushroom cap, Ill wash em.
The "baby bell'" were teeny portabellas (Which is a made up name anyway), and ,along with some criminis , which have meatier taste but are a bit tougher, we had a nice side dish of sauteed mushrooms and caramelized onions.

Now I need advice on speeding up the caramelization process without burning.
..........

Osso, Im not sure I want to freeze caramelized onions, they are so delicate freezing may yield a mushy mass of onions.

I remember some thread(s) when we talked about caramelized onions, and my link on Russ Parson's C onions was the longest/slowest to do; lots of others gave shorter times and other How To's.

Is this yet another infusion thread, steeped in tradition, but masquerading as a shroom room?

If you're going to cook them it doesn't matter.

Peel them and chuck the stalks.

whatever.

I get that ekename is clever

Do you? I would prefer to say "facile".

well, all this seems obtuse. Facile works. She or he sounds bright. I admit not getting it, ever. Seems a person who claims being wiley.

I'm still interested in mushrooms.

no and no

Usually, I only brush them. Besides chanterelles.

I flour the chanterelles, sieve the dirt and surplus flour away and then shower them. (Learnt that ages ago from a chef in the French navy.)

have they been able to produce chanterelles commercially in Germany? As far as I know, we only get them by going out and hunt for them in piney woods.
Our commercial mushroom growers produce all the "takis" and about 5 other strains that have been "domesticated" for growth in mushroom houses, Chanterelles and morels are still wild critters for us.
We had a good morel season this year, it was warm and wet early and by early April qe had an abundance of brown morels, great for creating a nice beefy gravy

I recall several varieties of chanterelles. Around here we have the golden lion chanterelle and the "midget" variety. In California up around Novato and Northern bay area we used to get "Cinnabar" chanterelles. Each hd a slightly different texture mainly.All were great when dried and used to make substantial mushroom soups. I liked chanterelles in salads too.

They used to make a chanterelle gravy at the French Laundry in the wine country. It was served with Duroc chops.

I havent hd breakfast yet.

chanterelles I would brush, but often they are clean enough when you buy them. If I pick them myself I just brush them and fry them.
Other mushrooms I peel .
I must admit I peel a lot of things. I have great respect for any form of peel since I almost was suffrocated by a grape peel. My father saved me.

No. Either try to find them or (a lot easier) buy them on the market. Or get them imported from (mainly) East Europe in the supermarkets.

the red chanterelles would lose that color of you peeled them. I liked the color they gave off