Stop salting your mushrooms right when they hit the pan

I used to always salt mushrooms right away to draw out moisture for browning, but I noticed they just ended up steaming in the pan instead. Last week I tried cooking a pound of creminis with no salt until they were golden brown on both sides. The difference was night and day. The moisture stays in the mushroom so it can actually sear instead of releasing liquid too early. I tested this side by side on a Tuesday dinner service and the unsalted batch had way better color and texture. Has anyone else found this trick changes how they prep mushrooms?

2 comments

2 Comments

hugobarnes12d ago

Nah, I'm the weirdo who actually likes the steaming effect. That mushroom water makes a killer base for pan sauces (don't knock it till you try it), plus salting early lets me control the seasoning from the start.

thea70412d ago

Using the mushroom water for pan sauces is smart actually, does it get too salty if you already salted the mushrooms first? I always thought the water would concentrate the salt too much but I guess you must be balancing it right. Whats your go-to ratio of stock to mushroom water when you make the sauce?