THE BELIEF
Older white button mushrooms taste better.
THE TRUTH
Freshly harvested white button mushrooms have firm caps, stems, and gills that are free of dark spots. That said, some chefs advocate the use of slightly older, blemished mushrooms, claiming that they are more flavorful than pristine, ultra-fresh specimens.
To test this claim for ourselves, we sautéed two batches of mushrooms, one fresh from the supermarket and one showing signs of age after a week in the refrigerator. In a side-by-side comparison, the results surprised us.
Tasters found that the older mushrooms actually had a deeper, earthier flavor and were substantially more “mushroomy” than the unblemished samples. This is likely because some moisture had evaporated and flavors were concentrated.
The takeaway: There’s no need to discard old mushrooms. In fact, their imperfections may actually improve the flavor of your dish. Do not, however, use mushrooms that smell fermented or look slimy.
About the Author: America's Test Kitchen
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How about dehydrating mushrooms? In our family, we like the flavor that mushrooms give to a dish but aren’t as fond of the texture. I only use half as much mushrooms for which a recipe calls. Is there a way to dehydrate the other half of the package of mushrooms for later use? If not, do you think cooking them all and freezing half would work?
Because of the lack of flavor, I never use white button, even when the recipe calls for them, I find that creminis have a similar, but more intense flavor. With Baby Bellas (cremini) readily available at my local grocery store, I always substitute. Are there times when a substitution would not be appropriate?