Wipe Clean Mushrooms or Give Them a Quick Wash:

Cup of Yum
1. When it comes to cleaning mushrooms you can do one of two things. First, place them in a colander, rinse under cold water for 30 seconds, and pat dry them with paper towels.
2. Second, fill a small bowl with water, soak a clean sponge (or a kitchen towel), and squeeze out as much water as you can. Then, gently wipe the mushroom caps. Be sure to get the underside of the caps and the stems until no dirt or debris remains.

Remove gills:

1. Turn the portobello mushroom over. Holding the mushroom in the palm of your hand, use a paring knife to slice off the inner edges while slowly rotating the mushroom. This paring will expose the gills located on the underside of the mushroom.
2. Then, using a dessert spoon, gently scrape the gills away. Be careful not to go too deep into the mushroom's flesh during this step. Continue working around the mushroom until you remove all of the gills.

Remove or Trim the Stems:

1. To remove the stem, use your fingers to grip it from the bottom of the mushroom, twist it, and pop it right out. Alternatively, you can also trim the stem using a sharp knife.

Slice or Use as A Whole

1. Depending on your recipe, you can prepare portobello mushrooms using the whole cap or slice them into long thin strips.