The Trick to Perfectly Cooked Mushrooms? Water.
Joe Gitter explains the science behind this surprising cooking method, explaining why it works for mushrooms every time.
Subscribe to America’s Test Kitchen:
Watch full episodes of America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Country for free on our new YouTube channel:
Watch More!
In The Test Kitchen:
The Taste Test:
Techniquely With Lan Lam:
Most Popular:
Follow America’s Test Kitchen:
Instagram:
Pinterest:
TikTok:
Facebook:
Twitter:
At America’s Test Kitchen, we investigate every aspect of cooking—recipes, equipment, ingredients, and techniques—with a goal to empower and inspire home cooks. Since 1992, our team of 50+ cooks, editors, and culinary creatives ask a lot of questions—and do a lot of testing—so that you get dependable, delicious recipes, comprehensive guidance, and thorough and unbiased equipment and ingredient reviews. You can find us in the pages of Cook’s Illustrated magazine, on our television shows America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Country, in dozens of best-selling cookbooks, and via the 14,000+ recipes, reviews, and classes available on our website and app. Whether you’re in search of a great weeknight meal or an impressive dinner-party dish, we’ve done the testing to deliver reliable recipes and comprehensive cooking info to your home kitchen. Bring your curiosity, and we’ll make you a better cook.
#AmericasTestKitchen #CookingTutorial #FoodScience
When you choose to purchase our editorial recommendations from the links we provide, we may earn an affiliate commission.
source
I watched this intriguingly and i absolutely hate mushrooms. Very interesting. Water is the underrated hero.
Absolutely not
Cook something in water? You're really making my blood boil
Or you add half a cup of water, wait until the water comes out, make a cornflour slurry, and put that in. Stir until thick.
Instant mushroom "pan sauce" without mucking round with oil and butter.
(Or you can just put it on toast with some bacon, for breakfast)
Thanks Joe, I will do this the next time. Always room for improvement!
Just put them in dry first and oil in when they release most of the water
I like cooking mushrooms with soy sauce and butter
Grey?
the pan wasnt hot enough is why there was no browning and they released their moisture
Brilliant. Thank you for this information.
I just cook them in butter and worschester sauce, lid them. Kind of the same thing.
That's the brownest color gray ive ever seen
I saute them with butter and add salt, pepper, and garlic powder. The salt helps draw out the moisture and the butter means that they drink in the butter, plus the flavor, instead. It doesn't take that long and it's easy.
Seriously, just start the mushrooms dry and agitate them to avoid sticking until they start to release water. No oil needed. Then add butter.
"See how the liquid in the pan is turning grey?" Have you been tested for color blindness sir?
Fun Fact: Mushroom cells are walled by a kind of chitin, as apposed to plant cells whose walls are made of cellulose.
Bugs use a similar but more crystaline chitin for their shells. The chitin walls are why mushrooms are so heat resistant, and thus it's hard to over-cook mushrooms.
Perfect tip, thank you
What if you just salt them and let them sit for 15?
Okay, I was totally ready to fight you, but you made a good point. 😅
Airfryer is best
Toss with garlic olive oil and mushroom soy sauce first
Yum!
You might want to get checked for colored blindness! That water was brown, not grey!
I learned that last year by accident. Great video, and that steak look just made me hungry❤❤
Maybe this is a myth but I always thought that cooking mushrooms in water made them squeaky and have a slightly off texture. That is why you are suppose to cook them in a dry pan with no oil or water until they release their water then you can add things like oil or water.
Just cook them dry til the water is gone, then add oil
What do you do with that dark water? Lol.
I do this with low sodium broth. By the time the broth evaporates they are browned and salted just right.
Or, and hear me out here, just place them in the pan, cover it. Up the heat until you drain all their water then add the oil.
Grey? That's brown my dude.
You don’t need water at all. Just put them in a dry non stick pan salted and they’ll release the water the same. Add butter to brown and boom best mushrooms ever.
or just use high enough heat with a little oil. like meat searing kind of heat
A dry pan is faster
Use marsala wine instead of water
No no no. In butter, is the right way to cook mushrooms. The nutty butter turns mushrooms into delicious meaty dish.
Thank you…I had no idea. I’ve always used oil / butter and it too so long. I certainly will give it a go
Wrong answer poppet- dry pan >>>>>
Butter😮
Love mushrooms , thank you for this.
I am in love with Cremini 🍄🟫 Mushrooms right now. The flavor is insane. Better than Portobello’s to me.
Then you can throw them right in the garbage where they belong.
Please teach us to make an italian style mudhroom.soup that has no thickening or any other veg except a background of onions, white wine garlic thyme . And something else that made that soup delucious. .
Thank you!!!
This is awesome. I had no idea. Thank you!
Who knew..
If you just salt them at the start, it draws all the water out without needing extra water. Same with onions.
I FREAKING LOVE MUSHROOMS
leaving them in the sun for a few mins increases vitamin intake output of the mushrooms as well