Who peels mushrooms?

I am guilty of peeling mushrooms! Don't know why,- just always have. But I will try your various wiping methods from now on.

I peel for one simple reason - you never know the quality of the soil - if it's full of chemicals then the skins are contaminated.

I love mushrooms and eat kilos of them. I NEVER wash them and only peel them if they have got a bit
slimy.
If anyone suggests doing something unnecessary I say I am too busy stuffing mushrooms. Actually like Jalima I love stuffed mushrooms.

I have always peeled mushrooms. All the while I'm doing it, I'm telling myself it's a waste of time, but if there's a bit of loose peel, off I go again. I don't like to wash them because I think it makes them taste watery.

They are so easy and very satisfying to peel.

On a cookery programme I once saw they said that you should wash them in a bowl, swirling them round a bit with a couple of handfuls of flour. The flour takes up the dirt and leaves them clean. I tried it a couple of times but I don't think it really worked.

My mother used to peel them but like others I merely wipe them if there's a lot of fibre on them. Always use the stalks too. I had some last week that weren't going to be used so made mushroom soup which was delicious. And talking about 'life's too short'.....I never de-seed tomatoes when the recipe says to do so as I reckon you lose too much of the flesh in the process.

Both...just wipe the small ones ...peel the large flat field mushrooms.

I wash, never peel

i peel the big, flat mushrooms but not the little ones. although i do discard the stalks - don't know why but i've always done it.
however i do buy frozen sliced mushrooms which are very good for stews even if my grandaughters fish the bits out!

It's something of a miracle if mushrooms get back to this house from the farm shop!
I buy at least twice as many as I'm going to need, because that allows me the freedom to eat as many as I like straight from the bag!
I've never washed or peeled a mushroom and am not about to start now.
The amount of cow muck I have ingested over the years must be huge, as I only ever give them a quick blow, and wipe off any huge lumps of 'growing medium' before wolfing them down!
I just love mushrooms, all sizes, all varieties, raw, chopped, sliced, fried, any which way!
Why should you always take a mushroom to a party? He's a real 'fungi'!

I wonder why you often see 'must wash before use' on many packs of mushrooms?

And yes rosesarered, I agree it's very satisfying peeling the larger ones!

Jan78 you see that on lots of veg packets - IMO it's just covering their backs in case anyone gets taken ill!

I'm sure I read/saw somewhere that you're not supposed to wash mushrooms, instead wipe them with a clean damp cloth/paper towel?

I don't peel mushrooms. Just a quick wipe with some kitchen towel. I read somewhere that washing them turns them slimy, but not sure if that's the case as I never have washed them.

Button mushrooms can't absorb much water with a quick swill in a colander under a running tap.

I only use big flat ones [are they called beefsteak?], buttons or dried!

Thanks for all your views.
I never imagined that there was so much to the humble mushroom.
Obviously we are all fans. Must hunt out more recipes and follow some of your great ideas.

I dont find wiping them satisfactory - (still looks dirty) - I wash button mushrooms and peel if they are getting a bit old/slimy. It doesn't take much longer. I dont think it affects the flavour at all.

Right let's try carrots...see how many responses we get!!

No, I never peel carrots. According to James Wong (ethnobotanist) the polyphenols in carrots are concentrated in their skin and it is sacrilege to peel them.

I automatically washed the mushrooms last night - under a running tap and very quickly then sliced them and they went into a stirfry. They were fine, not soggy at all.

Yes, I peel carrots unless they are the new ones in which case I scrub them with my Enjo cloth. ( Brushes can also be used)

I had a job picking mushrooms. They were grown in chicken manure. I always peel them and chop off the end of the stalk

I do not peel any veg if I can scrub them clean enough. Peeling is very much not the default option. Mind you I do grow most of my own root veg, although not mushrooms, which I think makes a difference because you know how they have been grown and what may or may not be on the skins.

Have always peeled them. Daughter doesn't and thinks I'm crazy! I do it quite a lot because I love them

I used to buy mushroom compost from the mushroom farm. The mushrooms were grown inside in large containers where no foreign bodies could get at them. I have never peeled or washed mushrooms. Once you start washing or peeling, they lose their flavour and go mushy.