Hokto mushrooms do not need to be washed
Hokto mushrooms are grown in an automated environment and usually never are touched by humans. And because of our process, you will not see any dirt or dust on the mushroom. When our employees enter the facility, hands and shoes are disinfected in addition to dust and loose hair being checked to be cleaned. On top of that, we don’t use any agrichemicals, ensuring 100% USDA organic mushrooms. So there is no need to wash the mushrooms because they are grown in such a clean environment.
Mushrooms are made of hypha (fungi fiber), when you wash them, water gets in between the fibers thus affecting the texture and worsen fragrance. If you still want to wash them, you can lightly wash them or wipe them with a damp paper towel.
How to choose fresh mushrooms
In any kind of produce, the more resilient, the fresher the product. Make sure to choose mushrooms with firm caps and stems, that are not watery.
Keep Hokto mushrooms the refrigerator
Like all other produce, it is best to keep Hokto mushrooms in a cool location with a regulated temperature, such as a refrigerator.
When you keep freshly purchased Hokto mushrooms in the refrigerator, you may see the mushrooms become slightly wet as if it has sweated. This is proof that Hokto mushrooms are fresh and might collect moisture due to temperature a difference. The mushrooms are still fresh as long as they keep their resilience even if it produces moisture.
How to store leftover Hokto mushrooms
Hokto mushrooms are fresh produce. After opening the package, it starts losing freshness. If you have any left over, you should wrap them tightly or wrap them with a paper towel and put them in a re-sealable plastic bag, then keep them in the refrigerator.
My Hokto mushrooms developed something resembling hair, Can I eat this?
Hokto mushrooms are alive even after harvesting and packaging. In some cases, the surface part of the mushroom starts to grow back, this is called “aerial hyphae” and are just the first stage in developing mushrooms. Despite their appearance, they are safe to eat. If you are still concerned, you can wipe these “hairs” off very easily with a wet cloth or paper towel. For best quality mushrooms, enjoy as soon as purchased.
Freezing Hokto mushrooms
While we don’t recommend, it is better to freeze Hokto mushrooms in small portions, because they can quickly freeze which avoids texture loss rather than slow freezing. It is also convenient for reuse. However, you will lose the taste and resilience along with the nutrition for sure when you defrost.
How to maximize Hokto mushrooms tastes
When cooking a soup, you might put many ingredients after the water is boiled, but Hokto mushrooms increase in umami best at 60-70℃ (140-158℉). Therefore they should be put so the soup can go through the temperature range releasing most umami.
It is the same when you stir fry, do not overcook. Furthermore, by combining different Hokto mushrooms you can multiply the umami.