# To soak or not to soak



## leaker88

I have always soaked my fresh morels in salt water, but I know a lot of people are against it. If you don't soak them, how do you get all the little buggers and dirt out? Or do you assume they are ok to eat when cooked?


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## blindin1i

I only use water and ice! I think salt makes them a little soggy, where ice keeps them crisp. Be sure to keep them completely submerged for 24 hrs. Rinse and enjoy! Happy hunting to all!


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## kcnate

They are ok to eat raw, the soaking is only for bugs,,, I get the big one out, snails, slugs, and rolly pollies and any other varmit... soak them while cleaning and the only thing left is the gray mushroom pepper size bugs.... you keep the wild taste and then cook.... the overnight soaking only gets out the little grey bugs and the water turns brown with lost flavor....


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## mozeta

I was always told to soak them over night to kill all the bugs and that is what I used to do. However, I never liked how mushy they turned after soaking for so long, not to mention the loss of flavor. Now I usually just wash them off really well and dip them in a bowl of water for a few minutes to make sure any ants or larger bugs are gone. Then I cook them right away. As long as you're going to cook them, why make them mushy or risk losing the flavor by soaking them? If I'm not going to cook them right away, I usually just rinse and freeze. A few tiny bugs you can't even see won't hurt you, especially if you cook them. I figure it can't be much different than the mushrooms or vegetables you get from the store. People don't usually soak those.


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## mofarmgirl

Raw 8-O??? ugh! LOL You shouldn't eat them raw! But anyways.... I've always soaked mine in cold salty water, placing a plate over the top to keep them submerged in the water. I keep them way in the back of the frig where it seems to be the coldest; allowing them to soak overnight. Rinse them in cold running water the next day. They have always been nice and plump -no soggies! With my extras, I do the same thing, laying them out in a single layer on baking sheets and slipping them in the freezer. Once frozen I put them in freezer ziplock bags and have them throughout the year - Delicious!


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## mushroomlady

You NEVER should eat raw wild mushrooms. They carry bacteria that can make you very ill. All mushrooms have an enzime that can be hard to digest, scientists say no mushrooms should be eatten raw but store bought button mushrooms are grown in such a sterile substraight that usually they will do no harm. As for soaking; SCIENCE has proven that the mushrooms start to degrade at a cellular leval when soaked. They should only be "cleaned" just before cooking. To get the critters out, first...cut your mushrooms to pick them (do not pull them out of the ground or twist them off their stems)and get rid of any obvious bugs. Next, carry them in a mesh bag. As they start to dry out on the surface they spread spore and the little critters start to go away. Details are in my book "Morel Hunting". Put your fresh catch in a paper sack in the refrigerater. The bugs will go into hybernation. Only clean the ones you want to eat right away. Submerse them in water and the bugs will pour right out. You will never get rid of all of them and you will render them harmless to you in the cooking process. But now you will have the best morels you ever ate.


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## kcnate

ok well said, i never eat them raw, just trying to point out you dont have to soak them in the frig


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## super picker

I belive that soaking is not necassary, it removes much of the earthness from them, which is what I like. A quick rinse after they are cut and JUST before cooking is all that I do, if they are nice fresh ones that have not had any mud splashed on them I don't even wash.
Buyers will never purchase soaked morels-it speeds the detearition process and your morel will not hold in good shape as long as mushrooms that are picked into paper sacks and put into the fridge, they will hold fresh for 2 weeks. If at that point you decide to process them for storage they are already partly dried.


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## 515IdiotOutWandrnAround

My boyfriend and i have been selling almost all of them presoaked. One person told me thst wasnt normal so i googled it and it led me to this string. Lol on a forum im already a member of  ive just been following suit of what my boyfriend's always done. I should have known better. I'll bring all this up to his attention. 




super picker said:


> I belive that soaking is not necassary, it removes much of the earthness from them, which is what I like. A quick rinse after they are cut and JUST before cooking is all that I do, if they are nice fresh ones that have not had any mud splashed on them I don't even wash.
> Buyers will never purchase soaked morels-it speeds the detearition process and your morel will not hold in good shape as long as mushrooms that are picked into paper sacks and put into the fridge, they will hold fresh for 2 weeks. If at that point you decide to process them for storage they are already partly dried.


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## Mushroom Geologist

Don't soak. Put them in the fridge under a damp cloth and it drives the bugs out and into the damp cloth if you want them whole and bug free.


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## jdaniels313

I couldn't resist putting in my 2 cents! I've been hunting and eating them for many years and I slice them lengthwise, put them in a bowl of water and hand swish them a little then soak for about 5 minutes and take them out and pat them dry with paper towels. Even after laying there for an hour before I cook them I have never seen any additional critters come out. They still taste fresh and "crisp"! 
The bottom line is: just use water, no salt; it extracts too much out of them, especially for a 6 or 8 hour stretch. We soak deer liver and heart in salt water, but that's to get all the blood and "stuff" pulled out of the meat. I've hunted mushrooms out here in CA for over 20 years and these threads were a first for me hearing about the salt. To each their own though! As long as you like the end result, that's all that really matters! Happy Shroomin....


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## jdaniels313

jdaniels313 said:


> I couldn't resist putting in my 2 cents! I've been hunting and eating them for many years and I slice them lengthwise, put them in a bowl of water and hand swish them a little then soak for about 5 minutes and take them out and pat them dry with paper towels. Even after laying there for an hour before I cook them I have never seen any additional critters come out. They still taste fresh and "crisp"!
> The bottom line is: just use water, no salt; it extracts too much out of them, especially for a 6 or 8 hour stretch. We soak deer liver and heart in salt water, but that's to get all the blood and "stuff" pulled out of the meat. I've hunted mushrooms out here in CA for over 20 years and these threads were a first for me hearing about the salt. To each their own though! As long as you like the end result, that's all that really matters! Happy Shroomin....


P.S.....out here we dry our Morels instead of freezing them. They re-hydrate excellent and some people say the flavor is even a bit better afterwards! FYI.......


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## jdaniels313

515IdiotOutWandrnAround said:


> My boyfriend and i have been selling almost all of them presoaked. One person told me thst wasnt normal so i googled it and it led me to this string. Lol on a forum im already a member of  ive just been following suit of what my boyfriend's always done. I should have known better. I'll bring all this up to his attention.


(Personally, I would never buy pre-soaked mushrooms! Of course I hunt my own, not buy, but just sayin'......!)


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## mellowmushiestl

When you say "Dry" them, wht is the process you use? Dehydrator?


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## Mushroom Geologist

mellowmushiestl said:


> When you say "Dry" them, wht is the process you use? Dehydrator?


That's what I do. If your area is arid, then setting them outside will work as well.


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## shroomsearcher

mellowmushiestl said:


> When you say "Dry" them, wht is the process you use? Dehydrator?


I use a dehydrator usually. You can also lay them on screens if it's a warm, sunny day and dry them that way. Just don't do that if the wind is up. Dried morels get as light as potato chips, and can blow away!


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## barndog

I clean mine in salt water with some Garlic powder. Garlic really drives out the bugs. Switch them around a few minutes then into a strainer to dry. Headed for a pizza!


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## Hallcece1999

I normally rinse then soak mine in salt water after for about 10 to 20 minutes so they don't get soggy and don't loose much flavor, then I place them on a paper towel to drain a bit while I prep the filling and stuff for my mushrooms. Because honestly there is no right or wrong thing because "science" as people reffer to, isn't always right because science hasn't even given any real vaccines that actually work. Also there isn't any harm in soaking them yea they can get soggy but everyone has a different preference. So honestly it just depends on what you feel is best. Because a simple rinse and removal of stems isn't always the best way to get the rest of the stuff out without damaging the mushroom.


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## yocham85

I never soak just cut and rinse with a strainer then cook, I alway sautéed my mushrooms and don't fry them any more. The only ones I fry Is big yellows the smaller Grey's have the best flavor when sautéed.


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## shroomsearcher

Hallcece1999 said:


> I normally rinse then soak mine in salt water after for about 10 to 20 minutes so they don't get soggy and don't loose much flavor, then I place them on a paper towel to drain a bit while I prep the filling and stuff for my mushrooms. Because honestly there is no right or wrong thing because "science" as people reffer to, isn't always right because science hasn't even given any real vaccines that actually work. Also there isn't any harm in soaking them yea they can get soggy but everyone has a different preference. So honestly it just depends on what you feel is best. Because a simple rinse and removal of stems isn't always the best way to get the rest of the stuff out without damaging the mushroom.


This is absolute nonsense! I got the smallpox vaccine and guess what? I never got smallpox. I got the polio vaccine and guess what? I never got polio! I got my first dose of the COVID vaccine a month ago, and guess what? I'm going to get my second tomorrow! And before you try telling me that the method of mRNA use to create a vaccine was all dreamed up last year, allow me to confuse you with a fact. Research on that was started in the mid-2000's after the SARS CoV-1 outbreak in 2003. The current virus is SARS CoV-2. So all they had to do was use the technique to use the protein spike of this new virus. Plus an incredible amount of assets went into this.

Science is real whether or not you believe in it!


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## Jadzia

My French cooking instructor taught me to soak them in brandy or, preferably young Cognac. You can do it with dried or fresh morels. You do it for a week or so, strain it, use the morels and then you have this wonderful morelly liquid to periodically use for sauces!


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## shroomsearcher

I suppose that's fine if you want your morels to taste like cognac. I would not!


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## Jadzia

shroomsearcher said:


> I suppose that's fine if you want your morels to taste like cognac. I would not!


Interestingly enough they don't get overpowered by the brandy or young cognac. When you strain/squeeze the alcohol out it leaves a fluffy, plump but not overpowered morel. Some of the morel flavor does end up in the brandy/cognac and I use it for cooking yummy sautes/sauces. When you cook the morels any alcohol residue evaporates quickly, where with water you'd have to cook them longer to not be soggy.


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## HawkeyeMerkels

Jadzia said:


> Interestingly enough they don't get overpowered by the brandy or young cognac. When you strain/squeeze the alcohol out it leaves a fluffy, plump but not overpowered morel. Some of the morel flavor does end up in the brandy/cognac and I use it for cooking yummy sautes/sauces. When you cook the morels any alcohol residue evaporates quickly, where with water you'd have to cook them longer to not be soggy.


Welcome to the site @Jadzia ! Thanks for the tip in french cuisine. I'd like to try it sometime. Chicken Marsala comes to mind utilizing the morel wine/brandy/cognac broth. Happy Hunting, Cooking, Drinking & Eating this season!


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## jah.norr

Hallcece1999 said:


> I normally rinse then soak mine in salt water after for about 10 to 20 minutes so they don't get soggy and don't loose much flavor, then I place them on a paper towel to drain a bit while I prep the filling and stuff for my mushrooms. Because honestly there is no right or wrong thing because "science" as people reffer to, isn't always right because science hasn't even given any real vaccines that actually work. Also there isn't any harm in soaking them yea they can get soggy but everyone has a different preference. So honestly it just depends on what you feel is best. Because a simple rinse and removal of stems isn't always the best way to get the rest of the stuff out without damaging the mushroom.


 Ever heard of polio Mr. Science?


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## shroomsearcher

Yes, I have. And if you had bothered to actually read my prior post in it's entirety you would have seen that I got my polio vaccine as a child, in grade school back in the 1950's. Our parents considered it a godsend that could prevent your child being crippled or having to use an iron lung to breathe! But go ahead you font of knowledge! Keep living dangerously. Frankly, I'm one of those who would remove all the warning labels and let Darwin have his way! 

I will say that I feel honored that you chose to join 53 minutes ago, and responded to me with your first post! 



HawkeyeMerkels said:


> Welcome to the site @Jadzia ! Thanks for the tip in french cuisine. I'd like to try it sometime. Chicken Marsala comes to mind utilizing the morel wine/brandy/cognac broth. Happy Hunting, Cooking, Drinking & Eating this season!


I suppose I said what I said because I just don't like cognac.


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