How to Clean Chanterelles

Chanterelles are very delicate. Therefore, you should clean the mushrooms very carefully and cautiously. A long water bath or a hard jet of water will not do them any good. They quickly soak up water, become mushy, and lose their flavor. It is therefore advisable to clean the chanterelles individually by hand.

Remove the dirt with a kitchen brush, a soft cloth, a little water, or some kitchen paper. Then use a small, sharp kitchen knife to cut off the base of the stem and any soft, glassy, or dry brown parts.

You can also clean particularly heavily soiled chanterelles with flour. It binds the adhering dirt. Put the mushrooms in a bowl and dust them generously with flour. Then shake them well. When all the mushrooms are evenly dusted with flour, place them in a coarse-mesh sieve. Also, shake the sieve well so that only a thin layer of flour encases the chanterelles. Then rinse it off under cold water – only very briefly – or put it in a cool water bath for a few seconds. Immediately place the mushrooms between two sheets of kitchen paper to soak up the liquid. In this way, the chanterelles cannot become soaked and retain their aroma.