Adjust salt (in mushrooms)

Adjust salt (in mushrooms) - Potatoes and mushrooms with chicken in white plate

My goal over the last year has been to reduce the amount of waste that comes out of my home. That means wasting less food and buying fewer items that come in any kind of packaging. When I can, I buy things in no packaging, but when that is not possible I buy either compostable packaging or reusable packaging (glass jars). Sometimes its unavoidable, of course, but I am trying. I also buy local and organic whenever possible.

I often come across recipes that call for a can of something. In the case today, it wants sliced mushrooms. Now, I know that if I am substituting fresh for canned, the mushrooms require a bit of preparation before I can add them, or else the texture will be off because the mushrooms need longer to cook. I have a little knowledge of the canning process, but I don't have the storage space in my small, city apartment so I try to do everything on an as-needed basis. I've never done it, but I know the canning process would be: wash and slice, cover with water in saucepan, boil for 5 minutes, transfer hot mushrooms to a jar, add 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/8 tsp of ascorbic acid powder per pint and add fresh, hot water and then carry on with the canning process.

So because I am not preserving the mushrooms and am going to use them right away, I will obviously leave out the ascorbic acid, but should I leave out salt as well or should I reduce it? And will this same rule apply to other vegetables as well?

vegetablesfood-preservationsaltcanningmushrooms


Best Answer

Consider looking at the situation from a different perspective. Canned mushrooms are an inferior substitute for fresh mushrooms. Whatever benefit they add to the recipe, would likely be improved by using fresh mushrooms.

Instead of attempting to pre-process your fresh mushrooms to make them more like canned mushrooms, why not simply adjust your recipe to use the fresh mushrooms directly?

Without the details of your recipe, it's impossible to know exactly what adjustments are needed — though, you might very well be able to substitute fresh mushrooms directly, with no pre-processing other than washing and slicing them.

Keep in mind the following:

  • Mushrooms cook very quickly. For example, if you are adding them to other sautéed vegetables, add them when the other vegetables are nearly cooked.
  • Fresh mushrooms contain a lot of moisture, which is released as they cook. This will add flavor to a sauce, but you may need to lengthen the reduction time.
  • Mushrooms can be eaten raw, though many people prefer them cooked. The longer you cook them, the more the texture changes. Cooked just until tender, mushrooms will be succulent and juicy, with lots of mushroom flavor. When cooked past that point, the mushroom juices are released and the mushrooms will absorb flavors from their companion ingredients.

Your proposal of boiling the mushrooms would just boil away the most of the mushroom flavor. Canned mushrooms add lots of salt, partly as a preservative, but also because the mushrooms are quite tasteless. Changing your recipe to take advantage of having fresh mushrooms will make it healthier and more delicious.



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How do you reduce the salt in mushroom sauce?

If it's a cream sauce, like this creamy mushroom pasta sauce, you can add more cream, cr\xe8me fra\xeeche, or unsalted butter to dilute the sauce. If it's a tomato-based sauce, add some sugar to tone down the salt and acid.

How do you counteract too much salt?

Give one of the following a try:
  • Citrus juice \u2013 a sour variety, like lemon or lime.
  • Herbs \u2013 savory aromatics like basil or rosemary.
  • Milk, half-and-half, or cream.
  • Sour cream or yogurt.
  • Sugar \u2013 brown or white.
  • Vinegar \u2013 particularly balsamic for beef-based dishes.
  • Wine.


    • How do you fix salty mushroom soup?

    If you're making a soup or a stew, add water, unsalted broth, any non-dairy milk (from coconut to oat), or cream to dilute the excess seasoning. Increasing the volume of the dish will spread out the spice or salt, and make each individual serving more palatable.

    How do you counteract salt in food?

    Try one of these methods for fixing oversalted food:
  • Add an acid. You can add lemon juice, lime juice, or apple cider vinegar to salty food to help neutralize the saltiness. ...
  • Add condiments. ...
  • Add dairy. ...
  • Add raw potatoes.
  • Add sugar.



    • The Biggest Mistakes Everyone Makes When Cooking Mushrooms



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