Common culinary wisdom dictates that mushrooms should never, ever be washed. Put these spongy fungi under the faucet or in a bowl, the dictum goes, and they will soak up water like a sponge.

On contrary, mushrooms which are over 80% water, absorb minimal amount of water when soaked in water!

So mushrooms can be cleaned like other vegetables by rinsing under cold water. However, it’s best to rinse them just before cooking and to avoid rinsing altogether if you are using them uncooked, since the surfaces of wet mushrooms turn dark and slimy when they’re exposed to air for more than four or five minutes.