Mushrooms

Brush off loose soil with a soft brush or wipe them with a damp cloth. If they are very dirty, rinse them briefly under cold water and dry them well; soaking makes them waterlogged.

Slice them evenly and cook in a hot pan with a little oil or butter, in batches so they are not crowded. Give them about 5–8 minutes, turning occasionally, until their moisture has evaporated and the edges are golden.

Keep them in the fridge in their original breathable packaging or a paper bag, and use them within a few days. Leave them unwashed until you are ready to cook them.

Yes. Cook them first by frying until their released liquid has evaporated, then cool and freeze in a sealed container. Frozen mushrooms soften when thawed, so they work best in soups, sauces and stews rather than salads.

Common cultivated mushrooms, such as button mushrooms, can be eaten raw when fresh and clean; slice them thinly for salads. Do not eat wild mushrooms raw or cooked unless an expert has identified them as edible.

Use them in mushroom soup, risotto, stroganoff, pasta sauces, omelettes or savoury pies. For a deeper flavour in a sauce or stew, brown them first rather than adding them straight to the liquid.

Cover them with hot water and soak until pliable, usually for 20–30 minutes. Lift them out, rinse away any grit, and strain the soaking liquid through a fine sieve or cloth before adding it to soups, risottos or sauces.

Discard them if they are slimy, badly bruised or have an unpleasant sour or fishy smell. A little surface darkening or dryness alone does not necessarily mean they have spoiled.